Philippines Protests China Daily AI ‘Monkey’ Video, Calling It Racist and Dehumanizing

A Chinese state media video that turns Filipinos into a cartoon monkey has exploded into a diplomatic fight — and a fresh reminder of how propaganda and new technology can strip real people of their dignity.

Story Snapshot

The Philippine government filed a formal protest over a China Daily AI video showing a “Filipino” monkey manipulated by the United States and Japan.
Officials call the video “demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist” and demand that China Daily remove it and stop posting similar content.
The video ties directly into the long-running South China Sea dispute and mocks the 2016 ruling that rejected China’s sweeping claims.
The case shows how state media now use artificial intelligence to push nationalism and insult other nations, raising broader concerns about elite propaganda and tech abuse.

Philippines protests China Daily’s ‘monkey’ video

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs filed a formal diplomatic protest after China Daily posted an artificial intelligence video that shows a monkey in traditional Filipino clothing. In the clip, the monkey wears a barong Tagalog and a salakot hat and is pushed onto a karaoke stage on a boat. Hands marked with United States and Japan symbols force it to sing lines about the South China Sea arbitration ruling, then blast it with a water cannon, echoing real past clashes at sea. Philippine officials say this turns Filipinos into animals, which crosses a clear line from tough debate into racist insult.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the video and related cartoons “went beyond legitimate political debate” by using “demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist depictions of Filipinos.” The agency stressed that criticizing legal rulings is one thing, but showing an entire people as a monkey is another. It also noted that China Daily posted the clip on July 10, just as the Philippines marked ten years since a 2016 ruling that rejected China’s broad claims in the South China Sea. By tying the joke directly to that ruling, the video hits not only the government’s position but the country’s effort to defend its rights under international law.

Coast Guard, defense officials, and public figures join the outcry

The Philippine Coast Guard quickly condemned the video and called it racist. Its spokesperson shared the clip on social media and said there was “no other justifiable reason” to portray Filipinos as monkeys in an artificial intelligence cartoon. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro also criticized the post, warning that it insults Filipino identity, not just policy. Civil society groups and commentators echoed these concerns, arguing that the video shows how dehumanizing images are now part of information warfare over the West Philippine Sea.

Lawmakers and other public voices say the video fits a wider pattern of China using media and technology to push harsh messages while claiming to respect international rules. Researchers have found that Chinese state outlets often tell one story at home and another abroad, stressing legal language for foreign audiences but using more emotional and nationalistic lines for domestic viewers. In this case, the “monkey” character appears to show the Philippines as weak, foolish, and controlled by Western powers, turning a legal dispute into a personal insult against ordinary Filipinos.

AI propaganda, social media, and the deepening trust gap

The controversy comes at a time when many Americans, whether conservative or liberal, feel that powerful players use media and technology to shape reality while everyday people pay the price. Artificial intelligence tools now let governments and big outlets create sharp, mocking content at scale, including racist or hateful images, with very little accountability. In this case, a state-run newspaper used AI to make a “funny” video that mocked a whole nation’s dignity, then placed it on a global platform where it could spread fast.

Lawmakers condemned the blatantly racist and dehumanizing AI-generated video and editorial cartoons published by China Daily, a Chinese state media outlet.

“This latest incident follows a clear pattern: China first illegally claims vast areas of the South China Sea that belong…

— Philippine News Agency (@pnagovph) July 17, 2026

For citizens in the Philippines and the United States who already worry about “deep state” elites and runaway propaganda, this incident reinforces a common fear: that governments are more focused on winning narrative battles than on protecting real people. The Philippine protest demands removal of the video and calls on China to “uphold dignity, respect, and truth in public discourse,” but past protests over South China Sea actions have often had little effect. As artificial intelligence makes it easier to churn out mocking clips and racist cartoons, many wonder whether global institutions, social media companies, or national leaders are truly prepared to defend basic human respect in the information age.