An AI-generated video posted by Chinese state outlet China Daily, showing a monkey dressed in Filipino national attire, has triggered a sharp diplomatic backlash from the Philippines just days before Beijing's top diplomat is due to attend a regional gathering in Manila.
July 10, 2026 · China Daily
AI Monkey Video Ignites a Diplomatic Firestorm Before Manila Summit
A state-media clip depicting a monkey in Filipino attire—forced to sing about the South China Sea ruling, then hit by a water cannon—drew a sharp "racist" and "dehumanising" rebuke from the Philippines, just days before Beijing's top diplomat lands in Manila.
~1 min
length of the AI-generated clip
10 yrs
since the 2016 arbitration ruling it mocks
0
details disclosed on the AI model or tools used
Inside the clip — a staged sequence
Monkey in a barong
Dressed in Filipino national attire on a karaoke boat.
→
"Wrong script"
Forced by US & Japan symbols to sing about the ruling.
→
Thrown & blasted
Shrieks, hurled into the sea, hit by a water cannon.
Manila's response
Dept. of Foreign Affairs: "racist," "dehumanising," demands immediate removal.Defense Sec. Teodoro Jr.: "despicable propaganda" showing "moral and intellectual bankruptcy."Coast Guard: "blatant racism" and a mockery of international law.
Why the timing stings
Marks the 10th anniversary of the ruling that rejected Beijing's claims.
Part of a recent run of clips ridiculing Manila's maritime conduct.
Lands just before China's foreign affairs chief arrives for a regional meeting.
Generative AI is being folded directly into state messaging and geopolitical friction—raising fresh questions about synthetic media in official communications on the eve of a delicate summit.
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