The Philippines has vociferously condemned an AI-generated video published by China Daily, branding it as 'dehumanising and racist' propaganda. The controversial clip, which depicts the Philippines as a timid monkey being manipulated by the United States and Japan, has ignited a fresh diplomatic row amidst long-standing territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Posted on 10 July, the video features a monkey wearing a Filipino shirt, screaming as arms bearing the US and Japanese flags push it onto a makeshift karaoke stage. After being admonished for singing the 'wrong song', the monkey presents a sheet referencing the 'South China Sea arbitration award' before being thrown into the sea and blasted by a water cannon. This imagery directly references the frequent use of high-pressure water cannons by the Chinese Coast Guard against Philippine vessels in the disputed waters, which has led to damage and injuries.
Manila's foreign ministry has demanded the immediate removal of the clip, stating that 'disagreement over legal and political issues does not justify resorting to disturbing imagery, which has no place in the civil public discourse of a responsible state.' The ministry added that 'such imagery and misinformation only serve to widen the distrust between the Philippines and China.' The Philippine defence ministry echoed this sentiment, calling the video 'contemptible propaganda' that 'exposes the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of China's propaganda machine.'
This incident occurs a decade after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favour of the Philippines, concluding that China's expansive claims in the South China Sea had no legal basis under international law. Beijing has consistently ignored this ruling, asserting that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction. China Daily's caption accompanying the video reiterates Beijing's position, claiming the arbitration award 'remains no remedy for peace, but a source of confrontation dressed up as law' and that the Philippines is 'turning their country into a pawn in someone else's geopolitical game' by 'clinging to external forces'.
Tensions between Beijing and Manila have escalated sharply in recent years, marked by overlapping claims to strategically important features like the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. Recent confrontations have included China installing and later removing a floating barrier at the entrance to Scarborough Shoal, and China barring Manila's Defence Secretary, Gilbert Teodoro, and his family from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. The video remains accessible on China Daily's Facebook page, and Chinese authorities have yet to respond to the Philippines' rebuke.