The controversy centers on a video posted by China Daily, which showed an animated monkey wearing a Filipino national costume being shoved by figures representing the U.S. and Japan, then blasted by a water cannon. The clip, which also mocked the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling, drew sharp rebukes from Manila’s foreign ministry and the Philippine defence ministry, which called it contemptible propaganda
and a moral and intellectual bankruptcy
of China’s propaganda machine.
The Video and Its Offensiveness
The video, shared on China Daily’s Facebook page on July 10, portrayed the monkey as acting on orders from US and Japan. The clip explicitly referenced the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, which rejected Beijing’s expansive claims over the South China Sea, labeling it “litter.” Manila’s foreign ministry condemned the imagery as deeply offensive, distressing, and unacceptable, emphasizing that disagreement over legal and political issues does not justify resorting to disturbing imagery, which has no place in the civil public discourse of a responsible state.
The Philippine defence ministry went further, calling the video contemptible propaganda
and accusing China of moral and intellectual bankruptcy
. Gilbert Teodoro described the Chinese Communist Party’s actions as “schizophrenic,” adding, The recent spate of schizophrenic behaviour of the Chinese Communist Party is too clear to disregard or ignore.
Bloomberg noted that the clip was part of a series mocking Manila, including depictions of the Philippines as a “clown” and a “snake.”
Historical Context and Tensions
The dispute highlights simmering tensions over the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila have clashed over territorial claims in the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. The Chinese Coast Guard has repeatedly used high-pressure water cannons against Filipino vessels, leading to injuries and damage. The 2016 arbitration ruling remains a focal point of contention, with Beijing dismissing it as no remedy for peace
and a source of confrontation dressed up as law.
The Philippines’ rebuke comes days before Beijing’s top diplomat is set to join a regional meeting in Manila, underscoring the diplomatic stakes. Bloomberg noted that the video’s timing—released just weeks after China barred Gilbert Teodoro and his immediate family from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau—has intensified scrutiny of Beijing’s tactics. Manila’s foreign ministry reiterated that such imagery and misinformation only serve to widen the distrust between the Philippines and China.
Chinese authorities have not responded to the Philippines’ rebuke. China Daily’s caption stated that the Philippines is turning their country into a pawn in someone else’s geopolitical game.
The Philippines has called for the video’s removal. With tensions over the South China Sea unlikely to ease, the incident raises questions about how diplomatic friction will shape regional stability. Bloomberg reported that the clip remains on China Daily’s Facebook page at time of writing.
Worth a look
