China Just Made Its Biggest Propaganda Mistake, Sparking International Backlash

⁨Article by F. Palafox

Published on July 18, 2026 3:30PM

China Daily, a State-sponsored media agency, posted an AI generated video unfolding a Propaganda Backlash depicting a monkey as a Filipino politician gripping a microphone, then dramatically launched from a ship's cannon, soaring through turbulent skies with the South China Sea Arbitration Award in his hands.

MANILA — Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela blasted China Daily on Thursday after the Chinese state-run outlet posted an AI-generated video that depicted a monkey in a barong and salakot, with the Philippine flag also appearing in the imagery. He called the video racist and dehumanizing, saying Filipinos “are not monkeys” and should not be made into one. ¹ ² ³

Tarriela’s response

Tarriela framed the video as an insult from the same country he says is pressuring the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea. In the statement quoted in local reports, he said it was outrageous for China to portray Filipinos as monkeys while challenging Manila’s rights in the area. ² ³ ⁴

What the video showed

Reports describe the clip as an AI-generated cartoon posted by China Daily on July 10, featuring a monkey wearing Filipino cultural clothing and being manipulated by figures associated with the United States and Japan. The satire also referenced the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling, which Manila says supports its legal position. ¹ ⁵ ⁶

Philippine reaction

The Department of Foreign Affairs condemned the material as racist, offensive, and unacceptable, and demanded that it be taken down. Philippine officials said the video crossed the line from political commentary into dehumanizing propaganda. ² ³

Wider context

The dispute comes amid continuing tensions between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea, where the Philippines has repeatedly invoked the 2016 arbitral award as final and binding under international law. Tarriela has been one of the country’s most vocal defenders of that ruling in recent months. ³ ⁷

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Notes:

¹ BBC. Philippines condemns monkey video on Chinese media as racist. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj632307934o

² Manila Bulletin. DFA condemns China Daily video depicting Filipinos as monkeys, demands takedown. https://mb.com.ph/2026/07/17/dfa-condemns-china-daily-video-depicting-filipinos-as-monkeys-demands-takedown

³ ABS-CBN. Tarriela: Chinese Embassy narrative rejected by 2016 arbitral ruling. https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/19/tarriela-chinese-embassy-narrative-rejected-by-2016-arbitral-ruling-0119

⁴ Arab News. Philippine Coast Guard condemns ‘racism’ in Chinese video. https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2651142/world

⁵ Pressone. China Daily uses AI cartoon depicting PH as a barong-clad ‘stupid’ monkey. https://pressone.ph/china-daily-uses-ai-cartoon-depicting-ph-as-a-barong-clad-stupid-monkey

⁶ NDTV World. Philippines Condemns Chinese Media's Video Depicting Filipinos As Monkeys. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/philippines-condemns-chinese-medias-video-depicting-filipinos-as-monkeys-11782166?pfrom=top_widget_trending

⁷ DZRH. Tarriela backs Teodoro amid China's rejection of arbitral ruling: 'We will never be silenced!'. https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/tarriela-backs-teodoro-amid-chinas-rejection-of-arbitral-ruling-we-will-never-be-silenced