What was depicted in the China Daily video about the Philippines?

Question

Accepted Answer

China Daily Video Depicted Philippines as a Cartoon Monkey in Racist Portrayal

A video posted by China Daily depicted the Philippines as a cartoon monkey, a portrayal the Philippines government has described as racist and offensive. The video showed a monkey wearing a traditional Filipino barong on a karaoke stage aboard a boat. This imagery was part of a larger narrative that included elements suggesting agreement with China's stance on maritime delimitation talks, ultimately leading to the monkey being launched by a catapult into a water cannon, a tool previously used by the Chinese coast guard.
Offensive Content Raised in Diplomatic Meeting

The Philippine government formally conveyed its strong objection to the offensive content in a meeting with the Chinese ambassador to Manila, Jing Quan. Foreign Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim stressed that such depictions are inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between nations and do not contribute to the stable management of bilateral relations. The department subsequently issued a formal diplomatic protest, condemning the video and cartoons for resorting to demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist portrayals of Filipinos, which goes beyond legitimate political debate.
Video Narrative and Symbolism

The minute-long video featured a monkey in a barong on a karaoke stage. The monkey began singing lyrics that appeared to align with China's position on recent maritime delimitation talks. Subsequently, a voice declared "wrong song" and handed the monkey a sheet labelled "South China Sea Arbitration Award." The scene concluded with arms bearing US and Japanese flags placing the monkey into a catapult and launching it into a water cannon.
Defence Secretary's Condemnation

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro condemned the video, stating that its glorification of violence against Filipinos exposes the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of China's propaganda machine. He further commented that this act of dehumanization reveals China as neither a secure and confident actor nor a trustworthy neighbour. The Chinese Embassy in Manila acknowledged noting the Philippine government's reaction to the China Daily post.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

What was depicted in the China Daily video about the Philippines?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends