A US underwater drone seized by the Chinese navy in the South China Sea has been returned, the Chinese defense ministry said.

In a statement carried by state-run Xinhua news agency, the drone was handed over some 92km north-west of Subic Bay in the Philippines.

"After friendly consultations between the Chinese and US sides, the handover was smoothly completed at midday," the ministry said on Tuesday.

According to the Pentagon, the drone, known as an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), was being used to carry out scientific research at the time it was captured. 

Source: MENA