President Rodrigo Duterte warned on Friday Chinese businessmen that if they are into illegal drugs or other criminal activities, they should avoid the Philippines, otherwise, they would get killed.

Duterte made the warning during the Philippines-China Business Forum held at Grand Hyatt in Beijing.

"(F)or those who are into drugs, the drug lords and those who are into this kind of thing of killing people for money, you know when you do that, you destroy my country and you destroy the economic life and eventually you destroy what is there for the people to lose everything, and we go back again to misery," he said.

"So for those who are into drugs, crimes, I am just asking them: Please avoid the Philippines because if you destroy my country with drugs, cocaine and everything, I will kill you. Period," Duterte stressed.

He noted there are also many Chinese criminal gangs in the Philippines who kidnap especially Chinese who are gamblers.

"And once they lose heavily, there are financials mostly Chinese that would lend you the money. But after that, they would ask for your repayment and if it cannot be repaid at once, they kidnap and sometimes they kill Chinese nationals --- kidnapped by Chinese nationals," he said.

Duterte said he has asked the Chinese government to help the Philippines in addressing these problems.

Duterte, on the other hand, told the Chinese businessmen that if they are law-abiding, there would be no problem and his administration would protect them.

"But if you are a law-abiding citizen, if you are a businessman and you are thriving, rich, do not worry we will protect you. We will protect your money. And when the time comes you want to go out, you can bring all your money outside of the Philippines. That is my guarantee and you have my protection and word of honor," he said.

Duterte has been in a four-day official visit to China upon the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Celerina Monte/DMS