China’s seizure of a US navy submarine drone signals its willingness to push back harder against American surveillance in the South China Sea, as tensions mount between the two nations ahead of the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.
The Pentagon said China had agreed to return the surveillance device, which was seized in international waters on Thursday. But the incident highlights concern about the direction of US-China ties amid uncertainty about the stance Mr Trump will adopt.
Mr Trump has been critical about China since launching his campaign, on everything from trade policy to its assertive moves in the South China Sea. After his victory, however, he sparked alarm in Beijing and among many experts in Washington by speaking to the Taiwanese president and hinting that he might abandon the “One China” policy that has guided US policy on China and Taiwan for four decades.