Advertisement China returns US drone seized in South China Sea China's defense ministry said it handed drone back after "friendly consultations" Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The United States drone that was seized by China has been returned, according to The Associated Press. Donald Trump criticized China for the situation, not long after he caused some tension in another situation by saying he might reconsider policy toward Taiwan, which is the self-ruled island the mainland claims as its territory. Trump accused Chinese authorities on Twitter of stealing the drone, and said, "We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!"The drone, which was taken by a Chinese navy vessel, was returned to the location in which it was found, near the Philippines, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement. Cook said Washington considered the seizure illegal. "This incident was inconsistent with both international law and standards of professionalism for conduct between navies at sea," he said, adding that the U.S. has called on China to refrain from "further efforts to impede lawful U.S. activities."The statement said the U.S. would continue to "fly, sail and operate in the South China Sea wherever international law allows." Such freedom of navigation missions in which U.S. ships sail near China's artificial islands draw warnings and rebukes from Beijing. China's defense ministry said in a statement that it handed the drone back after "friendly consultations." While Chinese officials said the drone’s removal was just to ensure the safety of passing ships, domestic political experts said the move appeared to be a warning to Trump not to test Beijing’s resolve over Taiwan. Trump broke protocol earlier this month by talking with President Tsai Ing-wen. He later said he did not feel "bound by a one-China policy" unless the U.S. could gain trade or other benefits from China. Beijing regards any acknowledgement that Taiwan has its own head of state as a grave insult. "China wants to send a message to the U.S. side about how serious the consequences can be if sensitive issues in China-U.S. relations are handled unilaterally and indiscreetly," said Xiong Zhiyong, an international relations expert at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. "The return of the seized drone shows that China hopes the U.S. will not provoke China on these issues and engage in solving issues through consultation." The seizure of the drone fits into China's broader strategy aimed at shaping the perception that it is in control of the South China Sea and will not back down, said Michael Raska, a military analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. "They use the South China Sea as political, economic and informational means to project power and to influence domestic and external perception that the South China Sea is basically Chinese," Raska said. "This puts the U.S. and China into contending trajectories, but neither side has the strategic interest to escalate beyond these low-level incidents." According to The Associated Press, many of China’s smaller neighbors who have protested China’s territorial claims are reportedly keeping an eye on how Trump handles the dispute of the South China Sea, which is a vital area through which about $5 trillion in global trade passes each year.