China Daily AI Monkey Video Sparks Philippine Diplomatic Protest

On July 10, 2026, China Daily, a Chinese state media outlet, posted an AI-generated video on its Facebook page depicting a monkey dressed in a traditional Filipino barong shirt. The video portrayed the monkey being directed by arms bearing US and Japanese flags on what to sing, being called 'stupid,' pulling a sheet of lyrics bearing the words 'South China Sea arbitration award,' and then being thrown into the sea and blasted by a vessel's water cannon.

The video was posted on July 10, coinciding with Philippine events marking the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling. On July 17, 2026, the Philippines lodged a formal diplomatic protest with China over the video and demanded that China Daily take it down, stressing that such content is inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between states.

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro denounced the video as 'contemptible propaganda' and stated it exposed 'the weakness of a government that resorts to racism, threats and manufactured hatred.' China's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the video, stating it 'does not represent the official position,' while the Chinese embassy in Manila did not respond to media requests for comment.

The 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling determined that China's expansive claims over most of the South China Sea have no legal basis under international law. Beijing rejects the ruling as invalid and argues the tribunal lacked jurisdiction. The dispute over the ruling's legitimacy remains unresolved, with the Philippines and its allies treating it as binding international law while China continues to dismiss it.

The video incident occurred against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Manila and Beijing. In June 2026, China sanctioned Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro — barring him and his immediate family from visiting China's mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau — after he criticized China's activities in the South China Sea.

Center-left outlets BBC News and The Guardian reported that China installed a floating barrier at the entrance to Scarborough Shoal in June 2026, which was later removed after the Philippines filed formal diplomatic protests. This incident added to a pattern of confrontations in the disputed waters.

BBC News and The Straits Times noted that the Chinese Coast Guard routinely uses high-pressure water cannons against Philippine vessels in the disputed shoals, causing damage and injuries. This tactic has become a regular feature of maritime confrontations between the two countries.

BBC News reported that China Daily has posted a series of clips and cartoons on Facebook in recent weeks mocking the Philippines' actions in the South China Sea, including depictions of Manila as a clown and a snake. The monkey video was part of this broader pattern of social media content targeting Philippine positions.

The Straits Times reported that Foreign Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim conveyed the Philippines' objection to Chinese Ambassador to Manila Jing Quan in a meeting on July 16, and that the Philippine embassy in Beijing wrote to China Daily's editor-in-chief demanding immediate takedown of the material. These diplomatic channels operated in parallel to the formal July 17 protest.

The Straits Times reported that on July 16, Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear-Admiral Jay Tarriela publicly condemned the video as racist on social media platform X, sharing it and stating 'Filipinos are not monkeys.' His statement preceded the formal diplomatic protest by one day.

The Straits Times noted that the video incident echoed a previous diplomatic dispute: in January 2026, China filed a diplomatic protest after Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Rear-Admiral Jay Tarriela posted a photo of himself giving a speech with comical images of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the background. The July 2026 incident reversed the pattern, with the Philippines protesting Chinese imagery.

The Straits Times reported that the Philippines issued a joint statement on July 12 — the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Hague arbitration ruling — signed by 13 other countries including Japan and the United States, calling the ruling legally binding. The statement underscored Manila's effort to rally international support for the tribunal's decision.

The Straits Times reported that Beijing labeled the Philippines' July 12 joint anniversary statement a 'distortion of the facts' aimed at vilifying China. This response reflected China's broader rejection of international efforts to legitimize the 2016 arbitration ruling.

BBC News provided geographic context for the dispute, noting that the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal are located approximately 100 miles (160 km) from the Philippines and approximately 500 miles from China. This proximity underlies Manila's claims that the territories fall within its exclusive economic zone.

BBC News reported that the video remained on China Daily's Facebook page at the time of its reporting, despite the Philippine demand for takedown. Chinese authorities had not responded to the Philippines' formal rebuke over the video.