China says it seized U.S. Navy drone to ensure safety of ships

If they,re in international waters, not much they can do about it.

But, SCS is quite far from mainland China.

Unprecedented. That is what our country will be in a few months when we replace a real President with a Tweeter-in-Chief.

Donald, the correct spelling is "unpresidential" - though used in a different context, one you'll soon need to get used to.

He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling to “unprecedented"

Surely, he couldn't have made this mistake, him being so smart and being good with words, using the best words.

Damn his Trumpy-stumpy Twitter fingers !

I wonder if the Chinese would be allowed to "conduct oceanic research" off the coast of San Diego.

Do some research yourself. Chinese subs and ships have been trolling the US west coast and Alaska for years.

It was a direct attempt to just see what Mr. Trump would say about the situation. It wasn't an attempt to openly steal "how to build a drone" information. A good hack can tell the world what was learned. President Trump should send a flock of Ospreys to cross the bow of such a ship and make it stop one way or another! There is an old saying, "Accept, expect." If anyone in the military cannot serve the new president, the exit is available.

China is being over generous over a foreign spying ship which is conducting clandestine spying activities against Chinese naval by confiscating that drone. The Israelis just bomber and a trading USA Liberty in Mediterranean international sea in 1967 and disguised as a friendly fire and covered up.

China can't help but kick sand in Obama's face one more time - they know he will take it and do nothing about it. Trump has set the expectation that any similar shenanigans will result in reprisal when he is president. I just hope he doesn't wimp out like Obama always does.

China said Saturday its military seized a U.S. Navy unmanned underwater glider in the South China Sea to ensure the “safe navigation of passing ships,”…

I'll bet the people that thought this up are still snickering!

By maintaining a belligerent stance in maritime conflicts, China just ends up undermining its own position. China's rigid attitude toward the South China Sea problem in recent years has given the U.S. a chance to once again enhance its presence in Asia. China does not understand the meaning of international waters.

I wonder if the Chinese would be allowed to "conduct oceanic research" off the coast of San Diego.

As long as it's on international waters, yes. International waters is everyone's waters - anyone can conduct "research." Russian warships even conduct "research" off the Florida coast:

http://russia.trendolizer.com/2015/09/us-navy-intercepts-russian-war-ship-off-florida-coast-near-nuclear-submarine-base.html

Heck, Russian nuclear sub even given shelter near Florida during Hurricane Sandy:

https://www.rt.com/usa/russian-nuclear-sub-gertz-097/

People keep forgetting this, but in fact, the US is a supporter of "innocent passage," even allowing 5 Chinese warships through US waters:

http://news.usni.org/2015/09/03/chinese-warships-made-innocent-passage-through-u-s-territorial-waters-off-alaska

Name another major country that would allow that. Not even China or Russia would allow that.

Now here's a question - what is the Chinese ships doing 50 nautical miles off the Philippines coast by Subic Bay and hundreds of miles away from China and stealing somebody else's equipment that's not an imminent threat to them?

Do ya think the Philippines want the Chinese warships to be there?

China is being over generous over a foreign spying ship which is conducting clandestine spying activities against Chinese naval by confiscating that drone.

That doesn't matter - as long as it's on international waters and doesn't put lives in danger, countries could spy on each other all they want. US can do it to China; China can do it to US; Russia can do it to US off the Florida coast; etc.

(Just like if we're in a public area, as long as I don't violate your space, I could watch what you're doing all I want, and ya can't do anything to me. It's a public area, and ya don't get afforded home rights.)

Trump has set the expectation that any similar shenanigans will result in reprisal when he is president.

Bring on WWIII! Build that swamp! Lock her up! Repeal Obamacare!

Bring on WWIII! Build that swamp! Lock her up! Repeal Obamacare!

Bring on the Civil War! Hands up, don't shoot! What do we want, Dead cops! When do we want it, Now! Come on man, the Left is great at dividing people and inviting division.

China says it seized U.S. Navy drone to ensure safety of ships

By that ""logic"" then THAT Chinese vessel could be SEIZED for EXACTLY the same reasons!! Lets just call it like it is China STOLE the drone in international waters just off the coast of China, NO!! The Philippines!!

Here is China acting the monster WE ALL helped create, its clearly out of control, watch out!!

Everybody knows China. It steals technology, every kind of copyrighted material, trademarked designs, etc. China is a thief; it had a chance to steal an underwater drone so it did because that is what a thief does, steals stuff.

Trump has set the expectation that any similar shenanigans will result in reprisal when he is president.

I don't think he would do anything major if they handed it over right away like in this case. They are the ones setting up the expectation that next time it will be a more serious attempt at achieving control of the South China Sea.

The latest from Trump Twitter: "We should tell China we don't want the drone they stole back-let them keep it!" Clearly, this man is deranged.

China know they don't have a leg to stand on with this one (the drone was taken just off the coast of the Philippines, nowhere near China like some posters here seem to think. This is China's way to save face and return the drone. The U.S. government should accept but not endorse China's feeble excuse, and throw in a stern warning not to do it again. Deescalate the whole thing. With the photo proof over the past few days of the weaponising of the man-made reef islands in the SCS and Trumps signalling that he isn't going to play China's games with the call to the Taiwanese leader, I have little doubt that the Chinese military felt they had to respond in some way to save face. If this is all they do - take a research drone and give it back a day or 2 later, then I personally can live with that. They could have done something way more stupid.

Trump hasn't even become "precedent" yet!

The more I think about it, the more I'm not surprised this person won the US election. He represents the typical American, arrogant, uneducated about anything that happens outside US, self-centred, intolerant and loud.

A burglar goes spying in your backyard and he drops his wallet. Then he complains the owner of the house picks up his wallet the next day.

@Pukey2, you need to rephrase that. Typical American? No, he represents the typical 'Murican... there are actually quite a few Americans that don't fit into your "typical" American stereotype.

He represents the typical American, arrogant, uneducated about anything that happens outside US, self-centred, intolerant and loud.

You must be a blast at parties!

Oh, and by the way....you're wrong!

Trump is the embarrassment for Americans and GOP. Firstly Pope cocdemned Trump immigration policy and racial discrimination. In social media, we can see Pope and Trump are together. Some mistakely thought Pope supported him. Pope has never been the fan of Trump. Trump has multiple wives despite being the God Fearing GOP member. During susscessive marriages, he committed adultery. Trump against the abortion. He dumped one of his own unwanted daughter.Trump is not happy about SNL which is upholding freedom of speech. Trump broke diplomatic protocol unlike other Presidents.

Trump humiliated and insulted countless people including disable and serviceman.

According Reganomics, Government should not interfere free market. Trump ditate Carrier Air Conitioners with socialist style tax payers hand outs.

Ronald Regan called Soviet or Russia as evil empire. Trump called Putin as his idol. Trump appointed Putin close friend as sectary of state. Some die hard fans said Trump has been sent by God. However God is blessing Russia instead of America.

ZenpunDEC. 18, 2016 - 05:32PM JST Trump is the embarrassment for Americans and GOP.

His reponse is a problem because you support China's seizure of U.S. drone in the international waters?

@Pukey2, you need to rephrase that. Typical American? No, he represents the typical 'Murican... there are actually quite a few Americans that don't fit into your "typical" American stereotype.

Yeah, he only fits the profile of a little less than half of Americans. Fortunately most of them are pretty good people. They just have the bad luck to be surrounded by morons.

The CCP is a huge group of such blatant liars.

“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.

Yang at his best. I had to laugh when I read that. He has a sense of humor, although a bit childish. You can substitute another word for 'humor' if you wish.

The Chinese need to study European and Japanese history of the early 1900s and learn a lesson before we end up with another war. International harmony can't last with this blatant imperialism and disrespect for the rules of international navigation and law.

They could have done something way more stupid.

Like laying claim to large swaths of the Western Pacific ocean and creating islands and building military bases? This behavior is the result of Obama's leading from behind strategy which has invited aggression from newly emboldened bullies like China. Trump will need to lay down a marker early on so that China understands that there is a new more traditional American leader in office that doesn't back down to Communists. That goes for Russia as well. If he doesn't he will get sand kicked on his face too.

@Wolfpack, the GOP had their hands in this too. Some of their partisan politicking such as threatening to shut down the government because it wasn't a Republican president in office helped embolden Russia on Crimea, and that result encouraged China to do what it's doing now... And to add on top of that... idiot greedy corporate America (and other western nations companies) kept feeding them money... because money is more important to them than imperialistic leanings of the CCP. Why is China not getting hit with sanctions like Russia is? I'd really love to know this.

@HonestDictator: the GOP had their hands in this too.

That's not how it works in the US system of government. The President has total control of foreign policy. Moreover nothing the Congress did had any effect on Obama's inept foreign policy. Bush got the blame for his failures and Obama owns his. It isn't exactly fair but that's the way it is.

idiot greedy corporate America (and other western nations companies) kept feeding them money.

And as we have seen from Hillary's huge support from corporate support for greedy 'corporate America' is a bipartisan matter.

Why is China not getting hit with sanctions like Russia is? I'd really love to know this.

That would be a good question for President Obama.