A music video produced by China to promote its support for neighbors battling the coronavirus has backfired in the Philippines, attracting a flood of public criticism and an online petition that is fast attracting signatures.
China's embassy released the song by diplomats, singers and an actor last week, but the lyrics and title "Iisang Dagat," or "One Sea" in the Philippine language, has not gone down well with some Filipinos, many of whom see China as a maritime aggressor in disputed waters.
By Monday afternoon, the video posted last week on YouTube with the hashtag #CNPHHealAsOne had 149,000 dislikes compared with 2,100 likes, while a Change.org petition demanding the video be taken down had more than 8,000 respondents.