The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has lodged a formal diplomatic protest against Chinese state-owned media outlet China Daily over what it described as racist and dehumanizing depictions of Filipinos in a series of opinion videos and editorial cartoons about the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.

In a statement on Friday, the DFA said the protest particularly covers an op-ed video posted on China Daily's Facebook page on July 10, 2026.

The Philippines first raised its objection during a face-to-face meeting on July 16, when Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim confronted Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan over the offensive content.

Herrera-Lim demanded the immediate removal of the materials, saying they were inconsistent with the mutual respect expected between states and undermined efforts to maintain stable bilateral relations.

The DFA said it has since issued a formal diplomatic protest, stressing that China Daily crossed the line from legitimate political commentary by using "demeaning, dehumanizing, and racist" portrayals of Filipinos.

The department reiterated that while the Philippines has consistently opposed what it considers false narratives surrounding the 2016 arbitral ruling and its lawful position in the South China Sea, political and legal disagreements should never justify discriminatory or racist imagery.

The protest also warned that the publication of such materials could deepen distrust between the Philippines and China, while urging Beijing to promote dignity, respect, and truth in its public discourse.

Separately, the Philippine Embassy in Beijing sent a formal letter to China Daily's editor-in-chief reiterating the government's demand for the immediate removal of the offensive content.

Despite the incident, the DFA said it remains committed to resolving issues with China through dialogue and diplomacy but emphasized that it will continue to denounce discriminatory and offensive rhetoric wherever it appears.