Philippines files protest after China Daily posts racist AI video

In short: The Philippine government filed a formal diplomatic protest with Beijing after China Daily posted an AI-generated video that depicts Filipinos as monkeys.

What happened

On July 10, 2026, China Daily, a state-run Chinese media outlet, posted an AI-generated opinion video on its Facebook page. The video discussed the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling from The Hague, a legal decision that rejected China’s broad claims in the area.

In the video, a monkey character wearing a Filipino shirt is shown being pushed or controlled by the United States and Japan to confront China. Philippine officials said the video mocks the Philippines’ 2016 legal win and suggests the country’s position is the result of foreign manipulation.

The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs called the video racist, demeaning, and dehumanizing. It said the content goes beyond normal political disagreement and filed a formal diplomatic protest with China. The protest also asked China Daily to remove the video.

Other Philippine officials also condemned it. The Philippine Coast Guard described it as racist propaganda. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and the defense ministry called it “mean” and “contemptible” propaganda.

As of the reporting cited by the New York Times, Chinese officials had not publicly responded.

Why it matters

AI-generated media is becoming an easy way to create realistic looking content quickly, including offensive or misleading material (like a cheap copy of a TV ad, but made by a computer). This incident shows how those tools can add fuel to international disputes, and how governments may respond when AI content crosses into racist imagery and public insult.

Source: NYTimes