Amid a conflict between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea in November 2021, the former Chinese ambassador to Manila encouraged Filipinos to share positive sentiments about China on Facebook. However, investigations revealed that many of the supportive comments were fabricated and posted by fake accounts sponsored by the Chinese embassy through a Manila-based marketing agency named InfinitUs Marketing Solutions.
The purpose of this cyber campaign, funded by China, was to undermine support for Philippine government policies and create discord regarding Manila’s security alliance with the United States. The agency also utilized these fake profiles to amplify anti-American content generated by Filipino writers who had financial ties to Beijing.
Despite the allegations and evidence, both InfinitUs and its owner, Paul Li, did not address the accusations directly. The Chinese foreign ministry denied any interference in the internal affairs of other countries and dismissed claims of influence campaigns as unsuccessful.
The surge of social media platforms has heightened the impact of influence operations in the Philippines, a country of growing strategic importance to both Washington and Beijing due to its proximity to Taiwan. InfinitUs’s activities extended beyond promoting pro-China propaganda and included disparaging the US-Philippine alliance and spreading negative narratives about Western-made COVID vaccines.
The agency’s tactics involved creating fake accounts to attack US interests and promote Chinese-friendly content featuring Filipino personalities. Additionally, InfinitUs established a media outlet called Ni Hao Manila, designed to appear as a local entity but was in fact controlled by the agency.
The Chinese embassy-funded awards, distributed by the Association of Philippines-China Understanding (APCU), aimed to influence prominent Filipinos by offering substantial cash rewards. These efforts were part of China’s broader strategy to shape public opinion in the Philippines and promote compliance with its agenda.
Despite the lack of stringent foreign interference laws in the Philippines, efforts are being made to modernize regulations and penalize the spread of disinformation. Both China and the US have engaged in information warfare in the region, with each accusing the other of interference in domestic affairs.
The recent shift in Philippine foreign policy under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who succeeded the pro-Beijing Rodrigo Duterte, has seen closer security ties with the US while maintaining cultural and economic connections with China. The ongoing struggle for influence between major powers underscores the complex geopolitical landscape in the Philippines.