China's ambassador to the Philippines, Zhao Jianhua, has been summoned by the Philippines government earlier this week over a drug trafficking network that Manila claims is based in China.   

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay informed a Senate hearing on Wednesday that the Chinese ambassador was summoned to explain the drug trafficking issue. He added that Manila would soon send an official communication to Beijing to "pursue this in a more aggressive note."

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Speaking to Reuters, Yasay recounted his meeting with Zhao. "(The ambassador) said that this is not true and I told him these reports are based on intelligence information, they have been validated so far as we are concerned, so I wanted a clarification from him," Yasay said.       

ABC News reported that the Chinese ambassador later sought information from Filipino officials to help in arresting the suspected Chinese drug peddlers. Zhao called on both countries to sign an anti-drug pact, as he dismissed the allegation that all the drug lords are from China.             

Earlier on Tuesday, the Philippines police chief informed a Senate hearing that China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong were the major hubs of illegal drugs business.

The Philippines has been on an overdrive to bust the drug trafficking network ever since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office nearly seven weeks back. Nicknamed "the Punisher," Duterte has promised to go tough on people involved in the illegal drugs business in the country.    

President Duterte's anti-drug offensive has so far resulted in the death of more than 1,900 people, while nearly 700,000 drug users and drug peddlers have surrendered to police.

TagsPhilippines, china, China Drug Trafficking, Zhao Jianhua