Trump Suggests China To Keep The Seized Drone

Chinese government has lately talked about returning the US naval drone that was earlier seized in the South China Sea, but a swift reaction from President-elect Donald Trump revealed Americans don’t need it back.

Trump said Saturday evening, “We should tell China that we don’t want the drone they stole back. – let them keep it.”

However, experts feel the latest comment could potentially complicate ties between the two countries.

The Chinese submarine rescue ship on Thursday took the possession of US drone close to the USNS Bowditch, an oceanographic survey vessel operating about fifty nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines.

Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said earlier in a released statement US has secured an understanding with the Chinese authorities about returning of the drone.

Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Defense spokesman Yang Yujun talked about returning of the drone in an appropriate manner.

It is not known what appropriate manner China is talking about. An expert said it may be a warning to the US to not deploy the type of vessel in the South China Sea.

An anonymous US defense official said Obama administration was glad to get the drone back.

He added, “It’s somewhat reassuring that senior leadership in Beijing agreed that this was something that should be returned, regardless of the individual actions of their people at sea.”