Philippines Protests China Daily Video Depicting Filipinos As Monkeys, Demands Takedown

The Philippine government has lodged a strong protest with China over what it described as the depiction of Filipinos as monkeys in an editorial video published by Chinese state-owned media. Manila has demanded the immediate removal of the content, calling it offensive and racist.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Friday that the protest covers a series of opinion videos and cartoons, particularly an animated video posted on China Daily's Facebook page on July 10. The content centres on Beijing's rejection of the 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China's sweeping claims in the disputed South China Sea.

Animated Video Targets Arbitration Ruling

The Philippines initiated arbitration proceedings in 2013 after China seized a shoal west of the country following a tense standoff. China refused to participate in the proceedings, questioned the jurisdiction of the tribunal in The Hague and dismissed the 2016 ruling as invalid.

The China Daily video shows a monkey holding a paper labelled "South China Sea arbitration Award" while wearing clothing resembling a traditional Philippine shirt, a rural hat and tattered trousers. Two hands marked "USA" and "Japan" then throw the monkey into the sea, where it is blasted away by a water cannon from what appears to be a Chinese coast guard ship.

The video's caption describes the arbitration ruling as not being a remedy for peace "but a source of confrontation dressed up as law." It further claims that "by clinging to external forces and stirring up trouble in the South China Sea," Philippine politicians "are turning their country into a pawn in someone else's geopolitical game."

Manila Condemns 'Racist' Depictions

The Philippines first conveyed its "firm objection to the offensive content" to Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan in Manila on Thursday. Philippine Foreign Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim "demanded that the materials be taken down, stressing that such content is inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between states," the DFA said.

In its formal protest, the department stated that "China Daily went beyond legitimate political debate by resorting to demeaning, dehumanising, and racist depictions of Filipinos." It added that "disagreement over legal and political issues does not justify resorting to imagery that has no place in the public discourse of responsible states."

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing also sent a letter to the China Daily editor-in-chief reiterating Manila's demand for the immediate removal of the material.

China Rejects Ruling, Tensions Persist

Responding to the controversy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday that the video "does not represent the official position and I have no comment on it." However, he maintained that China considers the South China Sea arbitration "a political farce disguised as a legal proceeding." He added that "the so-called award is illegal, null and void and has no binding force."

The Philippine government marked the anniversary of the July 12, 2016, ruling as a landmark victory for the rule of law against aggression. The ruling has also been reaffirmed by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and several other Western and Asian countries.

Territorial confrontations have become increasingly frequent in the disputed South China Sea, particularly involving Chinese, Philippine and Vietnamese forces and fishing fleets. Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have competing claims in the strategically important waterway, a major global trade route.