The Chinese embassy in Manila released a music video dedicated to COVID-19 frontline workers, but it quickly drew widespread anger among Filipino internet users because of the song’s indirect reference to the South China Sea, known locally as the West Philippine Sea.
The music video of the song “Iisang Dagat” (One Sea) was released on April 23. The lyrics were written by Chinese Ambassador H.E. Huang Xilian and the song was performed by Chinese diplomat Xia Wenxin from the embassy and several Filipino and Chinese celebrities.
The song mentions the friendship between the two countries and their mutual cooperation in dealing with the pandemic.
China’s Clandestine Gamble in the Philippines
The rapid expansion of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs is linked to rising Chinese influence on the government of Rodrigo Duterte. But this is a controversial, if not unmentionable, connection because the Chinese government has officially rejected POGOs, while the Philippines denies that it is giving preferential treatment to Chinese citizens for such businesses. For many Filipinos, however, POGOs have come to symbolize the dark side of state-backed Chinese investments in the country.
POGOs deal with online gambling. Since gambling is prohibited in many countries, POGOs allow bettors to play and transact through the internet.