DFA Demands Removal of Controversial China Daily AI Video
CHINA – Tensions between the Philippines and China have intensified after the Department of Foreign Affairs condemned a controversial AI-generated video shared by a Chinese state-run media outlet.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has strongly condemned an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated video published by China Daily, saying it portrayed Filipinos in a racist and dehumanizing manner in relation to the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.
The 58-second AI-generated video was uploaded on China Daily’s Facebook page on July 10, 2026. In the clip, a monkey dressed in a traditional Filipino salakot and barong—symbols commonly associated with Filipino identity—is shown being directed by characters representing the United States and Japan.
Accompanying the video was the caption: “‘The Philippine Politicians’ Karaoke Show’ lays bare the farce: by clinging to external forces and stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, they are turning their country into a pawn in someone else’s geopolitical game.”
In a statement released on Thursday, July 16, the DFA said the video went far beyond the boundaries of legitimate political commentary and instead resorted to offensive and racist portrayals of Filipinos.
“As a Chinese state-run media outlet, China Daily’s conduct goes beyond legitimate political debate and employs blatantly demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist depictions of Filipinos,” the DFA said at the beginning of its statement.
The agency emphasized that while the Philippines remains firm in defending its lawful position and countering what it described as China’s distortions and false narratives regarding the Arbitral Award, there is no justification for using degrading imagery against the Filipino people.
“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 DFA stressed.
The department also called on China Daily to immediately remove the AI-generated video and urged China to uphold dignity, respect, and truth in discussions involving sensitive international issues.
According to the DFA, the publication of such imagery and what it described as misinformation only worsens the already strained trust between the Philippines and China.
“Such imagery and misinformation only serve to widen the distrust between the Philippines and China. The Philippines demands that the offensive material be taken down, calls for the immediate cessation of such irresponsible content, and urges China to uphold dignity, respect, and truth in public discourse,” the DFA concluded.
As of this writing, however, the AI-generated video remains available on China Daily’s Facebook page and has yet to be taken down despite the Philippine government’s demand.
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