Philippines Condemns China Daily AI Video as Racist

The update

The Philippines has formally lodged a diplomatic complaint with Beijing after a Chinese state media outlet posted an AI-generated video depicting a Filipino as a timid monkey. The video, posted by China Daily, shows a monkey in a Filipino shirt being shoved onto a boat stage by figures bearing Japanese and US flags. The monkey then sings about the South China Sea before being flung into the sea and blasted by a water cannon.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the deepening tensions in the South China Sea. The Philippines has accused China of using dehumanising and racist imagery in its propaganda. The video is seen as a direct response to the Philippines’ legal and political stance on the disputed waters. The Philippines’ foreign ministry stated that such imagery has no place in civil public discourse and only widens distrust between the two nations.

What to watch

Manila is demanding the removal of the video from China Daily’s platforms. The video remains live on the outlet’s Facebook page. The broader dispute involves frequent stand-offs and violent confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the disputed shoals. The Philippines has previously won a landmark arbitration ruling in its favor, which Beijing has ignored.

Sources

• bbc.co.uk — Details of the AI video content, the diplomatic complaint, and the context of South China Sea tensions.
• nytimes.com — Confirmation of the formal diplomatic complaint lodged by the Philippines.