Manila protests ‘racist’ portrayal of Filipinos in China Daily videos

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest with China over videos published by the state-backed China Daily that Manila said portrayed Filipinos as monkeys. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the material crossed from political argument into dehumanizing and racist representation. The report was published on July 18, 2026, amid heightened friction between Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea.

According to Al Jazeera, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Maria Theresa Lazaro raised the matter with China’s ambassador, while the department submitted a formal protest. The Philippine embassy in Beijing also issued an open letter to China Daily’s editor, accusing the outlet of violating editorial standards and urging more respectful public discourse. China Daily, described by Al Jazeera as China’s most-read English-language newspaper, shared the videos on Facebook.

The videos were part of a series tied to the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award. That tribunal decision largely backed the Philippines and found China’s broad maritime claims had no legal basis under international law. Beijing rejects the ruling and continues to claim most of the sea, including contested areas such as the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal.

The dispute matters because the South China Sea remains a major flashpoint involving sovereignty claims, energy resources and sea routes. Al Jazeera noted repeated confrontations between Chinese coastguard vessels and Philippine ships, including incidents involving collisions and water cannon. The United States and allies including Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom have backed respect for the 2016 ruling. Al Jazeera said China’s foreign ministry and China Daily had not publicly responded at the time of publication.