A majority of Filipinos continue to distrust China, with nearly eight in 10 viewing the Asian giant as the greatest threat to the country, according to an OCTA Research survey conducted in December 2025. Seventy-nine percent of respondents selected China from a list of countries. This reflects a steady intensification of this perception since 2021.
The OCTA Research survey, conducted from December 3 to 11, 2025, involved 1,200 respondents with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent. Sixty percent of respondents were "strongly" or "somewhat" distrustful of China, while 13 percent expressed trust and 26 percent were undecided.
When asked which country posed the greatest threat from a list, 79 percent chose China, far ahead of others: Russia at 5 percent, the United States at 4 percent, North Korea and Saudi Arabia at 2 percent each, and Japan, Iran, and Pakistan at 1 percent each. None selected Australia or India, and 4 percent said no country on the list was a threat.
OCTA described this as a "clear, stable and intensifying trend," with 79 percent identifying China as the top threat in December 2025, up from 74 percent in July 2025. Since January 2021, a clear majority has consistently viewed China this way, showing consolidation of the perception.
La Union Representative and House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V said the results reflect public sentiment influenced by President Marcos' firm, law-based defense of territorial rights. "President Marcos has been clear and consistent: we will defend what is ours, anchored on law and diplomacy," he stated. He noted the West Philippine Sea issue affects fishermen and food security daily. "This is not about being anti-any nation. This is about being pro-law, pro-sovereignty and pro-Filipino," Ortega emphasized.
However, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Sen. Imee Marcos urged restraint in public statements on international matters. "Reckless statements and intemperate rhetoric can have dire impact on bilateral relations," she warned.
In related developments, the Philippine Air Force deployed three aircraft, including an FA-50PH fighter jet, for the 11th Philippines-US Bilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity on January 25-26, 2026, in the West Philippine Sea. A Chinese warship was monitored nearby but took no aggressive actions.
