Washington: China has returned a US underwater probe it seized in the South China Sea, the Pentagon confirmed after Beijing's capture of the craft sparked a dispute between the two powers.
The Chinese navy handed over the drone near where it was seized, the Pentagon said, repeating US condemnation of Beijing's actions in what it says are international waters.
"This incident was inconsistent with both international law and standards of professionalism for conduct between navies at sea," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said.
"The US has addressed those facts with the Chinese through the appropriate diplomatic and military channels, and have called on Chinese authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and to refrain from further efforts to impede lawful US activities."
A Chinese naval vessel seized the probe last week, a move which heightened tense relations between the world's two largest economies.
