Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON: China has seized an unmanned US naval underwater testing vehicle in the South China Sea, a US defense official told AFP on Friday.
"It was taken" by China, the official said, adding the craft was seized in international waters about 50 miles off Subic Bay.
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The "naval glider" was used to test water salinity and temperatures to help in the mapping of underwater channels, the official said.
While the probe was a US Navy vessel, it was operated by civilians, the official said.
The vessel's seizure comes amid continued tensions in the South China Sea.
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