China Responds to Trump – “We Don’t Like the Word ‘Steal'”

While negotiations are ongoing regarding China’s return of the undersea US drone that was confiscated by China last week, China has pushed back against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s claim that its military stole an American naval drone last week, even as the Philippines called the seizure off its coast, and which took place outside of the contested nine-dash line, “very troubling.”

Trump said on Twitter on Saturday that China had “stolen” the drone in an “unprecedented act,” later adding that China should keep it, while on Monday Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing that the unmanned underwater vehicle was removed in a “responsible and professional manner” to protect shipping.

Hua then took a swipe at Trump, saying “we don’t like the word ‘steal’ — the word is absolutely inaccurate,” during the regular daily briefing, adding that China was still negotiating with the U.S. military about the drone’s return. “This is just like you found a thing on the street, and you have to take a look and investigate it to see if the thing belongs to one who wants it back.”

The US would beg to differ, considering that theconfiscation took place in an area that was not even contested by China, and was outside the so-called Nine-Dash Line, and in very close proximity to the Philippines: In a follow up statement Monday, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the incident was a matter for China and the U.S. to resolve among themselves. Nonetheless, he said, it was “very troubling” because it occurred within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.

“Not only does it increase the likelihood of miscalculations that could lead to open confrontation very near the Philippine mainland, but the commission of activities other than innocent passage which impinge upon the right of the Philippines,” Lorenzana said.

Previously, the Pentagon said a Chinese naval vessel unlawfully seized the drone Thursday while the USNS Bowditch was attempting to collect it about 50 nautical miles northwest of the Philippines’s Subic Bay. As Bloomberg reported, “the incident showed how quickly tensions between the nations could escalate as China challenges U.S. naval supremacy in Asia and Trump signals a more confrontational approach to the world’s second-biggest economy.”

China has sought to maintain “strategic composure” in response to Trump’s criticisms of the country’s policies on everything from trade policy to Taiwan.

On Monday, Hua suggested the China was holding fire in responding to Trump’s tweets until he takes office. “Our focus is the U.S. administration’s words, behavior and policies,” Hua said. “Regarding the postings on Twitter made by U.S. President-elect Mr. Trump, I’ve noticed that there are lots of comments from international community already, and me, as a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, I don’t have extra comments to make.”

For now it is unclear what the conclusion of this particular incident will be: as SCMP reported last night, China has hinted that it would present the US with “conditions” that would have to be accepted for the stolen drone to be returned.