The Department of Foreign Affairs has filed a diplomatic protest against China over AI-generated videos and editorial cartoons published by state-run China Daily that it said portrayed Filipinos in a racist manner.
In a statement issued Friday, the DFA said it formally protested a series of opinion videos and editorial cartoons, including an AI-generated video posted on China Daily’s Facebook page on July 10 in connection with the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award.
The department said it first raised its concerns directly with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan during a meeting on July 16.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim demanded the immediate removal of the materials, saying they were inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between states and undermined efforts to maintain stable Philippine-China relations.
The DFA said China Daily had gone beyond legitimate political discourse by resorting to “demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist depictions of Filipinos.”
It added that while the Philippines rejects what it described as false narratives about the 2016 arbitral award and Manila’s position in the South China Sea, political and legal disagreements do not justify racist portrayals.
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing also sent a formal letter to the editor-in-chief of China Daily reiterating Manila’s demand that the materials be taken down.
The DFA said the Philippines remains committed to dialogue and diplomacy but “will not hesitate to call out discriminatory and offensive rhetoric wherever it appears.”
China has consistently rejected the 2016 arbitral ruling, while the Philippines maintains that the decision is final and legally binding under international law. NewsWatch Plus has sought comment from the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
