Trump tells China it can keep seized underwater drone
Donald Trump has said the Chinese government should be told it can keep a US navy unmanned underwater glider that was seized in the South China Sea.
Responding to news of the seizure, the US president-elect tweeted that America did not want the drone back, adding: “Let them keep it”.
His comment came after US officials confirmed that they “secured an understanding” for the return of the device.
Trump’s tweet on Saturday evening may extend one of the most serious incidents betweentheamericanandthe Chinese militaries in years.
The Chinese navy on Thursday seized the drone, which the Pentagon said was being operated by civilian contractors to conduct oceanic research.
The US lodged a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded the glider back.
Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun issued a statement late on Saturday which said that a Chinese navy lifeboat discovered an unknown device in the South China Sea on Thursday.
“In order to prevent this device from posing a danger to the safe navigation of passing ships and personnel, the Chinese lifeboat adopted a professional and responsible attitude in investigating and verifying the device,” Yang said.
The statement said that after confirming that the device was an American unmanned submerged device, “China decided to transfer it to the US through appropriate means”.
US officials said that through “direct engagement with Chinese authorities”, they had secured “an understanding” that the Chinese would return the unmanned underwater vehicle.
But Trump, after holding a rally to thank supporters for his election, took to Twitter to criticize the deal.
“We should tell China that we don’t want the drone they stole back – let them keep it!” the president-elect tweeted on Saturday evening.
Trump criticised the seizure earlier in the day.
Misspelling “unprecedented,” he tweeted: “China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters – rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act.” He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling.
The US said China’s “unlawful seizure” came in international waters.
Yet China pointedly accused the US of long sending ships “in China’s presence” to conduct “military surveying.”
“China is resolutely opposed to this and requests the US stop such activities,” it said.
0 Trump tweeted ‘we don’t want the drone they stole back’