China Dismisses Allegations of Interference in Philippine Elections

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Beijing's foreign ministry has dismissed allegations of interference in the upcoming May elections in the Philippines, following claims made by a Philippine security executive. On April 24, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated China’s stance of non-interference, responding to accusations during a press conference.

These allegations were presented by National Security Council (NSC) Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya at a Senate hearing, where he suggested that China was involved in "information operations" aimed at influencing the elections. According to Malaya, these operations involve narratives propagated through third-party proxies on social media, allegedly orchestrated by Beijing.

During the same Senate hearing, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino presented what he claimed to be evidence of a contract between the Chinese Embassy in Manila and Infinitus Marketing Solutions Inc., a Makati-based firm. Tolentino alleged that the contract involved deploying "keyboard warriors" to disseminate pro-China messages and disparage lawmakers who defend the Philippines' territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea. He identified Wu Chenqi of the Chinese Embassy and Myka Poynton of Infinitus as the individuals behind the agreement.

As of now, the Chinese Embassy in Manila has not responded to these allegations. Meanwhile, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia acknowledged the existence of a coordinated social media campaign designed to undermine the credibility of the upcoming elections. In a separate investigation, Philstar.com highlighted suspicious bot activity targeting Comelec officials with corruption allegations, indicative of broader influence operations.

Previously, Philstar.com reported on anonymous campaigns on Chinese social media platforms, warning of potential civil unrest in the Philippines following calls for Mindanao's secession by local politicians.

These developments underscore the complex interplay of international relations and domestic politics, highlighting the challenges of ensuring electoral integrity in an era of sophisticated information warfare.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from PhilStar 2025-04-25