Underwater glider belonging to the United States will be returned after being seized in the South China Sea

TENSIONS in the South China Sea are hotting up after China seized an underwater glider belonging to the US that entered the territory.

President-elect Donald Trump has slammed China’s seizure of a US underwater glider. Picture: Don Emmert/AFP

TENSIONS in the South China Sea are hotting up after China seized an underwater glider that entered the territory, which the US is calling an “unlawful seizure”.

The US military said that through “direct engagement” with the Chinese, it’s “secured an understanding” that China’s navy will return an underwater glider seized in the South China Sea.

Both Beijing and Washington confirmed Saturday that the probe would be returned, without providing details of the handover.

But China’s Ministry of Defense also slammed alleged American “hyping up” of the incident as “inappropriate and unhelpful.”

Peter Cook, a spokesman for US Defence Secretary Ash Carter, said in a statement that the US had registered its objection to what the US is calling an “unlawful seizure” of the unmanned submerged device in international waters

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

Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun issued a statement late Saturday saying that a Chinese navy lifeboat discovered an unknown device in the South China Sea on Thursday.

It said, “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.”

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

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

According to the Pentagon, the drone was seized 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.

‘UNPRESIDENTED’

Meanwhile President-elect Donald Trump has corrected his spelling in a tweet blasting China’s seizure of the underwater glider.

Trump put out a fresh tweet Saturday saying that the seizure of the drone was an “unprecedented” act. He earlier tweeted that the act was “unpresidented.”

In blasting China’s actions, Trump tweeted: “China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters — rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act.”

Last weekend, Trump tweeted that CNN reports “rediculous” fake news. Hours later, he put out a fresh tweet correcting the spelling to “ridiculous.”

Donald Trump says China's act is 'unpresidented'.