USNI News:
A Chinese surveillance ship is operating off the coast of Hawaii to keep tabs on the U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, a Navy official confirmed to USNI News on Friday.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) auxiliary general intelligence (AGI) ship has been operating in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the coast of Hawaii since July 11, U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Capt. Charlie Brown told USNI News on Friday.
“We expect the ship will remain outside the territorial seas of the U.S. and not operate in a manner that disrupts ongoing RIMPAC exercise,” Brown said.
“We’ve taken all precautions necessary to protect our critical information. The ship’s presence has not affected the conduct of the exercise.”
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser first reported the presence of the AGI off Hawaii.
