Metro Manila, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs has lodged a diplomatic protest against China over what it described as the racist depiction of Filipinos in AI-generated videos and editorial cartoons published by state-run China Daily in connection with the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award.
In a statement issued Friday, July 17, the DFA said it formally protested a series of opinion videos and editorial cartoons, particularly an AI-generated video posted on the outlet’s Facebook page on July 10.
The department said it first raised its objections directly with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan at a July 16 meeting.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim demanded the immediate removal of the materials. The DFA said Herrera-Lim stressed that the content was inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between states and did nothing to promote the sound and stable management of Philippine-China relations.
The department later filed a formal diplomatic protest condemning the materials.
“China Daily had gone beyond legitimate political debate by resorting to ‘demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist depictions of Filipinos’,” the department added.
The DFA said that while the Philippines consistently rejects what it described as false narratives and distortions to the arbitral award and the country’s position in the South China Sea, political and legal disagreements do not justify racist portrayals.
The department warned that such content only deepens distrust between the Philippines and China.
It also urged China to uphold “dignity, respect, and truth” in its public discourse.
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing has also sent a formal letter to the editor-in-chief of China Daily reiterating Manila’s demand for the immediate takedown of the materials.
The DFA said the Philippines remains committed to dialogue and diplomacy in its engagement with China.
However, it said it “will not hesitate to call out discriminatory and offensive rhetoric wherever it appears.”
The Philippines just marked the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 arbitral award, which invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.
China has consistently rejected the ruling, while Manila maintains that the award is final and legally binding under international law.
NewsWatch Plus is reaching out to the Chinese Embassy in Manila for comment.
