Manila accuses Beijing of ‘sinister’ campaign to sway midterms, push South China Sea narratives

MANILA – The Philippines on April 24 accused China of orchestrating a “hidden and sinister” disinformation campaign to influence public opinion with pro-Beijing narratives, targeting not only the South China Sea dispute but also midterm election candidates critical of Beijing’s claims.

During a Senate hearing on China’s alleged espionage activities in the Philippines, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino presented documents as he accused the Chinese Embassy in Manila of hiring a local public relations firm to operate a “troll” farm as early as 2023.

Mr Tolentino said that InfinitUs Marketing Solutions, based in the Philippines’ financial district Makati, was tapped to influence public perception through fake social media accounts, while simultaneously attacking Philippine government policies seen as unfavourable to Beijing.

Among those being targeted, he said, were President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, justices of the Supreme Court and lawmakers like Mr Tolentino, who is seeking re-election in the May polls.

“The money that the Chinese Embassy paid was for something hidden and sinister. It was to finance a troll farm,” Mr Tolentino told the hearing. “(This is) a covert disinformation and influence operation against the Philippine government and the Filipino people”.

Mr Tolentino, who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, called for the hearing on April 24 after recent arrests of suspected Chinese spies who have mapped out strategic areas in the Philippines, including military bases that the US has access to under a defence deal with Manila.

There are ongoing tensions between the Philippines and China over their overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

Representatives from the Chinese Embassy and InfinitUs were not present at the hearing, but Mr Tolentino said they may be summoned in future sessions. A follow-up hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun denied the accusations, saying during a regular media briefing on April 24 that Beijing follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs.

“We have no interest in interfering in the Philippine elections,” Mr Guo said.

The Straits Times has also asked the company to comment on the allegations, but it has yet to respond.  

During the hearing, Mr Tolentino presented a service agreement that he said was brokered in August 2023 between the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, represented by then media and public relations director Wu Chenqi, and InfinitUs’ marketing director Myka Poynton.

He also showed a cheque for 930,000 pesos (S$22,000) from the Bank of China’s Manila branch, dated Sept 11, 2023, and payable to InfinitUs, which he alleged was part of the payment for the disinformation campaign.

The firm allegedly created hundreds of “keyboard warriors” or fake social media accounts masquerading as Filipino students, businessmen and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. They reportedly interacted with real users to sow disinformation and amplify pro-Beijing narratives on issues ranging from maritime disputes to domestic foreign policy alignment.

Mr Tolentino alleged that the online campaign was run by a team of 11 people who created 300 Facebook accounts and 30 profiles on social media platform X that reached about 50,000 Filipino users on both platforms.

“This is not normal public relations. Neither is it a normal PR campaign. What’s being done is to openly provide information and convey the policies of the Chinese government,” Mr Tolentino said.

He said some of the InfinitUs team members are Filipino, but did not blame them for spreading disinformation.

“They were just following orders based on the contract I presented,” Mr Tolentino said.

Founded in 2018, InfinitUs bills itself on its official website as a “boutique end-to-end marketing solutions company” catering to growing middle-market businesses and upscale international clients.

Though headquartered in the Philippines, the firm offers a Chinese-language version of its site and lists China-based companies such as tech giant Huawei and aluminium producer Zhongwang among its clients.

The National Security Council (NSC) echoed Mr Tolentino’s concerns during the hearing, with assistant director-general Jonathan Malaya saying it has identified “indications” of alleged Chinese-sponsored groups interfering with the May polls. But he did not make any direct connections to the embassy or the PR firm for now.

Mr Malaya said narratives coming out of Beijing, such as criticism of the ongoing annual war games between Filipino and American soldiers in key parts of the Philippines, have been mirrored by “local proxies” using various social media accounts.

“There are indications that information operations are being conducted, or that Chinese state-sponsored groups in the Philippines are actually interfering in the forthcoming elections,” Mr Malaya said.

Asked by Mr Tolentino if the NSC believes China is running operations to support local candidates it wants to win in the Philippine midterms, while targeting those it did not prefer, Mr Malaya said yes.

He added that the NSC has already identified these local proxies, but did not disclose them for now.

Geopolitical analyst Don McLain Gill of De La Salle University in Manila said China is leveraging the Philippines’ deep social media engagement to plant dissent and sway opinion against the Marcos administration’s foreign policy.

“It’s a long game aimed at influencing future elections and stirring political instability,” he added.

Another geopolitical analyst, Dr Robin Garcia of Manila-based public affairs firm WR Numero, said that shaping public perception also helps China avoid direct conflict by boosting the chances of pro-Beijing leaders winning in democracies.

“These narratives can weaken national resolve and shift sentiment in ways that benefit China’s long-term strategic goals,” he added.