Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asked China on Tuesday to dispatch sea patrols to help stop Islamic State militants from abducting sailors and attacking vessels.

"I also asked China if they can patrol the international waters without necessarily intruding into the territorial waters of countries," Duterte said.

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"I said even coast guard cutters would do, just to patrol, like what they did in Somalia," he continued. It could be recalled that Beijing sent a naval convoy to the Gulf of Aden in 2009 to protect Chinese ships from Somali pirates.

He said that Beijing could help safeguard trade routes in Southeast Asia, especially in the Malacca Strait and Sulu Sea. He explained that is such trade routes are blocked and shifted, it could increase prices of goods and companies could pay higher insurance rates.

He, however, did not specify if China responded to his request.

According to the International Maritime Bureau, maritime kidnappings hit a 10-year high last year. It further said that the waters of the southern Philippines are becoming dangerous.

The Philippines together with Malaysia and Indonesia has agreed to patrol and crack down the Abu Sayyaf in the Sulu and Celebes Sea. The Muslim rebel group sustained by piracy and kidnap-for-ransom activities started abducting several dozens of hostages from Indonesian and Malaysian tug boats and South Korean and Vietnamese merchant ships last year.

Such cooperation is likely to expand to include Brunei and Singapore, Delfin Lorenzana, Philippine's Defense Secretary, said, adding that the country has also intensified land operations to hunt down the Abu Sayyaf within six months.

TagsDuterte, china, South China Sea, Abu Sayyaf, Maritime kidnapping