Donald Trump accuses China of ‘unpresidented’ act over US navy drone

DONALD Trump might want to invest in a dictionary if his response to China seizing a US navy drone is anything to go by.

President-elect Donald Trump made a another gaffe on Twitter in response to China seizing a US navy drone. Picture: AP/Evan Vucci

CHINA says its navy seized a US Navy unmanned underwater glider to ensure the “safe navigation of passing ships.”

Donald Trump pounced on the news in an early morning tweet.

However, he mistakenly called it an “unpresidented”, instead of “unprecedented”.

He deleted the tweet about an hour and a half later and reposted with the correct spelling.

Donald Trump called China’s seizing of a US navy drone "unpresidented". Picture: Twitter

“China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters — rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act.”

The people at dictionary, Merriam-Webster, also couldn’t help having a dig at the President-elect, putting out the following tweet.

Good morning! The #WordOfTheDay is...not 'unpresidented'. We don't enter that word. That's a new one. https://t.co/BJ45AtMNu4

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) December 17, 2016

It came as China said it would return the drone and claims the US “hyped up” the incident.

“China and the United States have been communicating about this process. It is inappropriate and unhelpful for a resolution that the U.S. has unilaterally hyped up the issue,” said Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Sr. Col. Yang Yujun. “We express regret over that.”

“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,” Col Yang Yujun said.

Donald Trump could be headed for a fraught relationship with China's President Xi Jinping. Picture: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Luis Hidalgo

The statement said that after verifying that the device was an American unmanned submerged device, “China decided to transfer it to the US through appropriate means.”

It also accused the US of deploying “ships in China’s presence to conduct renaissance and military surveying. China is resolutely opposed to this and requests the US stop such activities.”

According to the Pentagon, the drone was seized on Thursday while collecting unclassified scientific data in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety, about 92 kilometres northwest of Subic Bay near the Philippines.

The Pentagon said the US Navy’s drone was seized while collecting unclassified scientific data in the South China Sea. Picture: AFP/US Navy/ MC3 Alexander Tidd

As for Mr Trump’s “unpresidented” gaffe? It’s not the first time the President-elect has had issues with spelling.

Last weekend, he was criticised on social media for bad spelling in a tweet in which he accused CNN of reporting “rediculous” fake news.

He also asked the White House why there had been such a long “waite” into claims of Russian interference in the US election.

In January, he tweeted that Ted Cruz would “loose” to Hillary Clinton if he were the Republican nominee, and then months later said attack ads against him were “payed” for by special interest groups.