The Chinese and US militaries are having “unimpeded” talks about the return of US underwater drone taken by a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea last week, China’s foreign ministry said on Monday. The drone, known as an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), was taken on Thursday in waters off the coast of the Philippines, the first seizure of its kind in recent memory. The Pentagon went public with its complaint about the incident and said on Saturday it had secured a deal to get the drone back.