About 100 Chinese nationals who engaged in illegal offshore gambling operations in the Philippines have been repatriated to the country.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Wednesday said law enforcement agencies of the two countries had joined hands to crack down on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

"The Chinese government is committed to cracking down on gambling and relevant crimes and always asks overseas Chinese nationals to strictly abide by local laws and regulations and do not engage in any illegal and criminal activities," it wrote in a statement.

"We urge the Philippines to completely eradicate the scourge inflicted by offshore gambling as soon as possible. China will continue to work with the Philippines to jointly combat crimes."

The Philippines announced a ban on POGOs in July last year, and the operation marked another step towards that goal.

The online gambling industry emerged in the Philippines in 2016, and expanded rapidly as operators leveraged the country's liberal gambling laws to target Chinese customers. Gambling is illegal in China. (Additional reporting by Reuters)