By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday formally protested state-run 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.
The protest comes as the DFA demanded that the media outlet immediately take down these materials.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim first conveyed Manila’s objection to the offensive video, depicting Filipinos as monkeys, during a face-to-face meeting with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan on July 16.
He told the envoy that such content was “inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between states and does no favors to the sound and stable management of bilateral relations.”
The DFA has since issued a formal diplomatic protest condemning the materials, noting that China Daily “went beyond legitimate political debate by resorting to demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist depictions of Filipinos.”
“The protest underscored that while the Philippines has consistently rejected false narratives and distortions regarding the Arbitral Award and its lawful positions in the South China Sea, disagreement over legal and political issues does not justify resorting to imagery that has no place in the public discourse of responsible states,” DFA spokesperson Analyn Ratonel said in a statement.
“It reiterated the call for the material’s immediate takedown, warned that such content only widens distrust between the two countries, and urged China to uphold dignity, respect, and truth in its public discourse,” she added.
The DFA emphasized its commitment to dialogue and diplomacy in its engagement with China, but would “not hesitate to call out discriminatory and offensive rhetoric wherever it appears.”
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing also issued a letter to the editor, flagging the outlet for “breach of editorial norms and principles.”
“The Philippine Embassy demands that the offensive material be taken down, calls for the immediate cessation of such irresponsible content, and urges China Daily to uphold dignity, respect, and truth in public discourse,” it said in its July 17 open letter to China Daily. (PNA)
