Philippines coast guard seeks US, China help over piracy

‘The Philippines’ coast guard and Defense Ministry plan to seek assistance from China and the US in securing a major regional waterway amid concerns that pirates are expanding their activities there.
The Philippines coast guard authorities expressed fear on Wednesday that the Sibutu Passage sea lane between Malaysia’s Sabah state and the southern Philippines may turn into a Somalia-style pirate haven for the country’s Daesh-linked Abu Sayyaf terrorists.
According to the report, the deep-water channel, used by 13,000 sea vessels annually, provides the quickest route between Australia and the region’s globally powerful manufacturers in China, Japan, and South Korea.’
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