China Daily's 'Monkey Video' Sparks Outrage in the Philippines

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A Video That Crossed a Line

The Philippine government has strongly condemned a video posted by China Daily, a state-controlled Chinese newspaper. The clip, shared on the outlet's Facebook page on July 10, shows an AI-generated monkey dressed in traditional Filipino clothing (a barong shirt and a salakot hat).

In the video, the monkey is pushed onto a stage and told what to sing by hands marked with US and Japanese flags. When it pulls out a paper reading "South China Sea arbitration award," it is called "stupid," thrown into the sea, and hit with a water cannon (a device Chinese coast guard ships have used against Filipino vessels).

The Philippine Foreign Ministry called the imagery "deeply offensive, distressing, and unacceptable." It demanded that China Daily remove the video immediately.

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Officials Respond with Sharp Words

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro did not hold back. He described the video as "contemptible propaganda" and said it showed "the weakness of a government that resorts to racism, threats, and manufactured hatred."

Teodoro argued that the video mocks a legal ruling and celebrates violence against Filipino citizens and soldiers. He called it proof of what he described as the moral failure of China's state propaganda system.

Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, also condemned the clip publicly. He wrote that racism "has no place in this day and age" and stated plainly: "Filipinos are not monkeys."

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not respond to requests for comment.

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Why the Timing Matters

The video appeared just before the 10th anniversary of a major legal ruling. In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague rejected China's expansive claims over the South China Sea, siding with the Philippines. China has never accepted this ruling and continues to assert control over most of the waterway.

Days after the video was posted, the Philippines and 13 other countries — including the United States and Japan — issued a joint statement calling the 2016 ruling legally binding. Beijing dismissed the statement as a "distortion of the facts."

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Part of a Longer Pattern

This is not an isolated dispute. Tensions between Beijing and Manila have been rising for months. Chinese vessels have repeatedly clashed with Philippine ships in contested waters, including near Scarborough Shoal, where China had installed and later removed a floating barrier after Philippine protests.

Last month, China also imposed personal sanctions on Defense Secretary Teodoro, barring him and his family from entering Chinese territory, in apparent retaliation for his criticism of Beijing's actions at sea.

Analysts see the video as another sign of Beijing's growing willingness to use information warfare and public humiliation as a pressure tactic, rather than legal or diplomatic argument.

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The Bigger Picture

Human rights groups and independent observers have long tracked how Chinese Communist Party-controlled media outlets shape narratives abroad, often blending state messaging with entertainment content to reach wider audiences. Critics argue that dehumanizing imagery, like depicting a nation's people as animals, is a well-documented propaganda tactic used to delegitimize opponents rather than engage with facts.

For the Philippines, the episode adds another layer of distrust in a relationship already strained by overlapping territorial claims, sanctions, and repeated confrontations at sea. Manila's swift and public condemnation signals it is unwilling to let the incident pass quietly.

It remains unclear whether China Daily will remove the video or issue any response. For now, the clip stands as a stark example of how far state media messaging can go — and how quickly it can backfire internationally.

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Sources

1. Reuters – "Philippines condemns Chinese state media's 'racist' video depicting Filipinos as monkeys": https://www.reuters.com/world/china/philippines-condemns-chinese-state-medias-racist-video-depicting-filipinos-2026-07-16/
2. Arab News (AFP) – "Philippine Coast Guard condemns 'racism' in Chinese video": https://www.arabnews.com/node/2651142/world
3. GMA News Online – "Philippines' Teodoro slams China Daily post depicting Filipinos as monkeys": https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/995150/philippines-teodoro-slams-china-daily-post-depicting-filipinos-as-monkeys/story/
4. South China Morning Post – "China's ban on Philippine defence chief and family seen as warning shot to Manila" (Hintergrund zu den Sanktionen gegen Teodoro): https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3356956/chinas-ban-philippine-defence-chief-and-family-seen-warning-shot-manila

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