The video and the backlash
China Daily posted an absurd AI‑generated clip on July 10 that showed a monkey dressed in a Filipino T‑shirt being pushed onto a karaoke stage by Japanese and US flags. The monkey yells and then pulls out a paper that reads “South China Sea arbitration award” before it is dumped into the sea and blasted by a water cannon. The clip immediately drew criticism from Manila.
The Philippine foreign ministry called the portrayal dehumanizing and racist. They demanded the video be removed, saying it had no place in civil public discourse. The defence ministry branded it contemptible propaganda, calling it a sign of China’s moral bankruptcy.
The clip is part of a larger series of memes that China Daily has posted on Facebook, including a clownified Manila and a snake‑like depiction of the Philippines. These satirical posts aim to undermine the country’s position in the South China Sea.
Where the two countries stand
Tai–Li and Beijing dispute the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, which are just 160 kilometres from the Philippines but 500 kilometres from China’s mainland. The Chinese Coast Guard has routinely used water cannons against Philippine boats, causing damage and injuries. Both sides accuse each other of provocation and willfully ignoring the 2016 arbitration ruling that favoured the Philippines.
The video’s release comes as hostility has escalated further: a floating barrier was installed at Scarborough Shoal, only to be removed after formal protests by the Philippines. Also in June, China banned the Philippine defence secretary and his family from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau.
China Daily’s caption for the clip argues that “the South China Sea arbitration award remains a source of confrontation, dressed up as law.” The Filipino officials have not responded to the banner, but the incident indicates that cultural misrepresentation could be used as a tool for political leverage.
