China has returned a US underwater drone taken by a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea last week. In a brief statement, China’s Defence Ministry said, the drone had been given back to the United States after friendly consultations between the two countries.
It said, the drone was handed over close to the location it was seized, some 92km north-west of Subic Bay. Chinese state media said the use of the drone was likely part of U.S. surveillance efforts in the South China Sea.
The seizure had triggered a diplomatic protest and added to U.S. concerns about China’s growing military presence and aggressive posture in the disputed waterway.