Philippines' Duterte begins Cambodian state visit

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a statement prior to his departure for Cambodia and Singapore for official visits to the ASEAN neighbors, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines. Duterte said his trip to the ASEAN neighbors is in preparation for the upcoming ASEAN summits which the Philippines is hosting late next year.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte salutes the honor guard prior to his departure for Cambodia and Singapore for official visits to the ASEAN neighbors, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines. Duterte said his trip to ASEAN neighbors is in preparation for the upcoming ASEAN summits which the Philippines is hosting late next year. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has arrived on a state visit to Cambodia, where a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen will bring together two Southeast Asian leaders known for their tough-guy approach to governing.

The two leaders will witness the signing of memoranda of understanding on cooperation in sports and combating transnational crime. Their talks are also expected to touch on the South China Sea, where the Philippines has a territorial dispute with China, which is Cambodia's closest ally.

Duterte, who been president since June, has been directing a war on illegal drugs which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of suspected drug dealers and users. Hun Sen has led his country for three decades of authoritarian rule by directing violence and intimidation at his political opponents.