Gilberto Teodoro denounces China Daily's "racist" AI-generated video depicting Filipinos as monkeys during South China Sea dispute.
Philippine defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro has condemned a state-run Chinese video as "contemptible propaganda" and a "disgrace" to regional leadership. The AI-generated clip, released by China Daily, portrays Filipinos as a monkey dressed in local attire being directed by the United States and Japan. The video mocks the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award, which ruled in favor of the Philippines and invalidated China's expansive maritime claims. The Philippine foreign ministry described the imagery as "dehumanising" and "racist," demanding that the publication remove the clip. The rebuke comes as tensions rise between Manila and Beijing over overlapping claims to the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. While the Philippines received international backing for the 2016 ruling, Beijing continues to reject the tribunal's jurisdiction. The administration of the Philippines noted that such misinformation widens distrust between the two nations. China Daily has yet to issue a formal response to the diplomatic protest.