Chinese State Media Releases AI Video Depicting Filipinos as Monkeys
China Daily published an AI-generated video on July 10, 2026 depicting Filipinos as monkeys being manipulated by the US and Japan in a South China Sea dispute, prompting the Philippine government to condemn it as racial discrimination and demand removal. The Philippine Defence Secretary said the incident justified suspending military and ministerial exchanges with China.
What happened
China Daily published approximately one-minute AI-generated video on its Facebook account on July 10, 2026, depicting a monkey wearing Filipino traditional clothing being manipulated by arms bearing US and Japanese flags. The monkey is forced onto a karaoke stage on a ship, ordered to sing lyrics referencing the Philippines-Japan maritime boundary negotiations announced in May, and is then ejected by a water cannon resembling those used by Chinese coast guard vessels.
The video was released two days before the tenth anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling on July 12. Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela, Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., and the Department of Foreign Affairs issued statements condemning the content as racial discrimination and hate propaganda, demanding immediate removal.
Reported impact
The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs stated the video exceeded normal political debate and dehumanized Filipinos with racist imagery, causing offense and undermining trust between the Filipino and Chinese peoples. Defence Secretary Teodoro said the video glorified violence against Filipino people and military personnel and exposed the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the Chinese propaganda apparatus.
Teodoro stated the incident reinforced the justification for the Philippines to suspend ministerial and military exchanges with the Chinese Communist Party, asserting that recent Chinese behaviour demonstrated it is neither a reliable actor nor trustworthy neighbour.
Index analysis
The video employs dehumanizing depictions comparing Filipinos to animals as a propaganda tool in a territorial dispute. The timing before the arbitration anniversary and concurrent with planned high-level diplomatic visits indicates use of AI-generated synthetic media for political messaging in a regional conflict.
Governance controls
The Philippine government formally demanded the Chinese government remove the video and cease publishing similar content. The Department of Foreign Affairs called for respect, dignity and factual accuracy in public discourse between nations, even amid policy disagreements.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.