The Department of Foreign Affairs has formally protested China Daily’s racist depiction of Filipinos in a series of op-ed videos and editorial cartoons on the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, particularly a video the state-owned outlet published on its Facebook page on 10 July 2026.
The protest was triggered by a video posted on China Daily’s official Facebook page on 10 July, which the DFA said crossed the bounds of legitimate political discourse.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim conveyed the Philippines’ objection directly to Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan during a meeting in Manila on 16 July, demanding the immediate removal of the offensive content.
Herrera-Lim stressed that the materials were inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between states and undermined efforts to manage bilateral relations responsibly.
“Such depictions do no favors to the sound and stable management of ties,” he said, according to the DFA’s statement.
The Department’s diplomatic note condemned the videos and cartoons as demeaning and dehumanizing, warning that they erode trust between the two countries.
It underscored that while Manila rejects Beijing’s narratives on the Arbitral Award, disagreement over legal and political issues does not justify racist imagery.
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing reinforced the protest with a letter to China Daily’s editor-in-chief, reiterating the demand for the immediate takedown of the materials.
The DFA emphasized that it remains committed to dialogue and diplomacy in its engagement with China but will not hesitate to call out discriminatory rhetoric wherever it appears. # (ZIA LUNA)
