Philippines Condemns Chinese AI Video Depicting It as a 'Monkey'

Sun Sep 06 2026 03:21:54 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Philippines condemns a dehumanising Chinese AI video that portrays the nation as a monkey chasing US and Japan over the South China Sea.

A Chinese media outlet released an AI‑generated clip depicting a monkey in a Philippine shirt, demeaning the country amid the South China Sea dispute. The Philippines called the imagery racist and propaganda, demanding its removal. The clip reflects wider tensions over the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, where Chinese coast guard forces have used high‑pressure water cannons against Philippine vessels. The incident highlights Beijing’s refusal to accept the 2016 arbitration ruling supporting Philippine sovereignty. Despite the protest, the video remains online, underscoring ongoing mistrust between Manila and Beijing.

Philippines Condemns Chinese AI Video Depicting It as a 'Monkey'

Manila protest sign reads 'China out of West Philippine Sea' — At the centre of tensions between Manila and Beijing are the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.

Philippines has condemned a Chinese media piece that portrayed the country as a timid monkey, allegedly manipulated by the US and Japan to take Beijing on the South China Sea. The video was posted by China Daily on 10 July and features an AI‑generated monkey wearing a Philippine shirt, screaming as the US and Japanese flags shove it onto a rickety karaoke stage on board a boat, before it pulls out a sheet reading "South China Sea arbitration award" and is flown into the sea by a water cannon.

The incident adds to recent accusations that Chinese coast guard vessels have used high‑pressure water cannons to damage and injure Philippine ships in the disputed waters. The Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal are key flashpoints: the former lies about 100 miles from the Philippines and 500 miles from China.

Manila’s foreign ministry demanded that the clip be removed, calling the imagery "dehumanising and racist". It added that such propaganda only widens distrust between the two countries. The Philippine defence ministry dubbed the video "contemptible propaganda" and criticised the "moral and intellectual bankruptcy" of China’s propaganda apparatus.

The video remains on China Daily’s Facebook page as of the time of writing. Ten years after the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favour of the Philippines in The Hague, Beijing has dismissed the ruling as lacking jurisdiction, continuing to assert expansive claims in the South China Sea.