The U.S. Requests China to Return One of Its Underwater Vessels

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, announced that an unmanned underwater vehicle collecting scientific data had been seized by the Chinese Navy. According to the Associated Press, Pentagon spokesperson Jeff Davis stated that the U.S. has sent a formal diplomatic complaint regarding this incident, which occurred on Thursday, to Chinese authorities, but has not yet received a response. He added that this is the first time in modern history that China has seized an American maritime vessel. Meanwhile, NBC News reported that these unmanned vessels, referred to as 'ocean gliders,' are recognized under international law as American vessels. The Pentagon spokesperson also clarified that the civilian, reconnaissance, and research ship 'USNS Bowditch' was collecting two gliders in international waters in the 'Subic Bay' area near the Philippines when the Chinese ship entered the region. According to the report, the Chinese ship sent a boat to take one of the gliders. Jeff Davis stated, 'This glider belongs to us. It is clearly marked as ours, and we request its return, as well as assurances that such incidents do not happen again.' The Pentagon spokesperson noted that this underwater vessel is valued at $150,000. According to Reuters, the seizure of this underwater vessel raises concerns about China's increasing military presence in the 'South China Sea.' China and the Philippines have disputes over ownership of areas in the 'South China Sea,' and in June of this year, an international arbitration court ruled in favor of the Philippines. However, China had previously stated that it would not accept the international arbitration ruling on this matter. Just a week after the ruling from the international court in The Hague, China conducted new military exercises in these areas.