Vice President Sara Duterte decided it would be appropriate to address the nation days before the People’s Republic of China’s 73rd anniversary celebration — and in Mandarin, no less.
A video of the vice president giving a speech in Mandarin that news organizations released quickly went viral on social media.
According to reports, Duterte is the first Philippine leader to deliver the majority of a speech in Mandarin, much less a vice president in office. She called China a “kind neighbor” and praised it for helping the Philippines’ economy recover from the epidemic in the brief address, which was made public by the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
Although we were unable to locate any information on the VP’s knowledge of the language or whether she had previously obtained the assistance of a language coach, her remark sparked much discussion online, particularly among Filipinos who understand Mandarin.
Due to the fact that certain Chinese words’ meanings can change significantly depending on the tones employed, several people said that Duterte’s erroneous intonation and accent made it difficult for her to be understood and even put listeners at danger of being offended.
“I hope she used the appropriate words and accent. Because Mandarin is difficult, it’s fine to be adorable, but you better know what you’re saying, one user commented.
One person remarked, “I speak Mandarin and I did NOT understand a word she said… her accent is terrible.”
There are four tones in Mandarin. Two are all I can hear. It doesn’t help that there’s no rhythm. Finally, there are pronunciation problems, as noted by legal professor Christopher Lao.
Another countered that if Duterte was having trouble with the language, she could have easily communicated in English and hired a translator to translate, or she could have just used subtitles.
Some questioned the VP’s decision to make the effort now, given that China and the Philippines are currently engaged in a territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea and that the Philippines is still recovering from the worst typhoon to hit the country so far this year. However, speaking to another country in their language can be seen as a sign of diplomatic goodwill.
The user said in Filipino, “She actually placed China first above her fellowmen who suffered from the hurricane.”
Regardless of how one feels about Duterte’s Mandarin message, one user reminded internet users that making fun of the vice president’s accent is no different than making fun of Filipinos who insult English speakers with strong regional accents.
