Philippines President asks China to patrol piracy-plagued waters

Philippine President RodrigoDuterte on Tuesday asks China to patrol southern international waters leading to the Malacca Strait and the Sulu Sea, with the aim of stopping the expansion of extremism and piracy in the area.

"I also asked China if it can patrol the international waters without necessarily intruding into the territorial waters of countries," Duterte said in a speech to Filipino generals, Japan's Kyodo News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Duterte said he would like China to dispatch a fleet like it did when it sent naval convoy to the Gulf of Aden to protect Chinese ships from Somali pirates.

Chinese government data shows the country has taken an active role in protecting vessels against pirate attacks and combating piracy since 2009, and has sent more than 20 naval fleets to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia.

Maritime kidnappings in the Sulu Sea is "especially worrisome," with waters off the southern Philippines becoming increasingly dangerous, according to the International Maritime Bureau earlier this month.