Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday condemned a social media post by China Daily that depicted Filipinos as monkeys, calling it racist propaganda that reflects Beijing’s failure to defend its claims in the West Philippine Sea.

In a statement issued July 16, Teodoro said the post exposes “what the Chinese communist apparatus thinks of the Filipino people” and denounced it as a mockery of the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China’s sweeping maritime claims.

“This mockery of the lawful 2016 Arbitral Award and the video’s glorification of violence against the Filipino people and soldiers expose the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of China’s propaganda machine,” Teodoro said.

He described the content as “contemptible propaganda” unworthy of a state that claims responsible regional leadership, adding that it shows “the weakness of a government that resorts to racism, threats, and manufactured hatred because it has utterly failed to defend its ridiculous claims through reason, evidence, or law.”

Teodoro also reiterated the Philippines’ policy of suspending ministerial and Armed Forces of the Philippines engagements with the Chinese Communist Party and its agencies, citing what he called a pattern of hostile behavior.

He further criticized what he described as China’s “dehumanization” of Filipinos, saying it underscores that Beijing is “neither a secure and confident actor nor a trustworthy neighbor.”

The defense chief ended his statement with a warning to the public against being misled, urging Filipinos to remain vigilant amid rising tensions.