China's Foreign Ministry has voiced concern to the Philippine government over the detention of a group of Chinese nationals, following a police crackdown on online gambling. The Philippine immigration bureau detained around 1,200 Chinese citizens, suspected of working for an illegal online gambling operation.

"At present, a number of Chinese nationals have been released while others are still under investigation. China always reminds its citizens who travel abroad to abide by local laws. At the same time, China has expressed concern over the large number of Chinese citizens that were detained by the Philippines. We will continue to pay close attention to this case as it develops. China has requested the Philippines make appropriate arrangements for those who were detained," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.