MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) lodged a formal diplomatic protest against a Chinese newspaper over what it described as "racist, demeaning, and dehumanizing" depictions of Filipinos in a series of opinion videos and editorial cartoons related to the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.
In a statement issued Friday, the DFA said the protest specifically covered an AI-generated video posted on China Daily's Facebook page on July 10, 2026, which portrayed Filipinos using offensive racial stereotypes.
The department said the Philippine government first conveyed its strong objection on July 16, when Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim raised the issue directly with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan during a face-to-face meeting.
During the meeting, Herrera-Lim demanded the immediate removal of the offensive materials, stressing that such content is inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between sovereign states and undermines efforts to maintain stable and constructive bilateral relations.
"The materials are inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between states and do no favors to the sound and stable management of bilateral relations," the DFA said.
Following the meeting, the department formally filed a diplomatic protest, condemning what it described as China Daily's decision to go beyond legitimate political commentary by resorting to racist and dehumanizing portrayals of Filipinos.
The DFA emphasized that while the Philippines has consistently rejected what it considers false narratives and distortions surrounding the landmark 2016 Arbitral Award and the country's lawful positions in the South China Sea, disagreements over legal and political issues should never descend into racial attacks or discriminatory propaganda.
