China says viral video not government act, rejects South China Sea ruling anew

China's foreign ministry on Friday said that the video circulating online was "not an act of the Chinese government," while reiterating Beijing's longstanding rejection of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling.

"About the video you mentioned, this is not an act of the government. I have no comment on that," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said in his regular press briefing.

"China's position on the issue of the South China Sea arbitration is clear and consistent," Lin added.

He reiterated Beijing's position that the arbitration "was a political farce masquerading as a legal process," adding that the tribunal's award is "illegal, null and void, and has no binding force."

China has consistently refused to recognize the 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal, which invalidated the legal basis of Beijing's expansive claims in the South China Sea. The Philippines has repeatedly invoked the ruling in asserting its maritime rights in the disputed waters.

The Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), has demanded that a Chinese state-run media outlet take down the AI-generated video it posted on social media, which depicted Filipinos as monkeys while criticizing the 2016 arbitral ruling.

DFA slammed the video publicized by China Daily, describing it as “racist” and “deeply offensive.”

It also issued a formal diplomatic protest over China Daily’s “dehumanizing and racist” depiction of Filipinos in videos and editorial cartoons on the 2016 arbitral ruling. —LDF, GMA News