China sent a spy ship to Hawaiian waters in its first participation in the biggest U.S.-led international naval drill.

The surveillance vessel is situated just outside U.S. waters but within the border of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), according to U.S. Pacific Fleet chief spokesman Captain Darryn James yesterday. He said the auxiliary ship is not included in the on-going Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise, Bloomberg relayed.

Like Us on Facebook

In his emailed statement, James also said the U.S. Navy continuously monitors all the activities in the Pacific and that the Chinese surveillance ship is expected to stay out of U.S. waters. He also said the vessel should not do anything to disrupt the present RIMPAC exercise.

This is the first time that China was invited to join the U.S.-led naval drill which was designed to boost international cooperation amid China's rising military capabilities. Aside from sending the second-largest contingent to the RIMPAC 2014, Beijing also stirred questions among the other participants by sending an auxiliary surveillance ship.

Royal Norwegian Navy's Fridtjof Nansen commanding officer Per Rostad remarked that it is not the first time the exercise is being monitored, but it is a new move for a participating unit. Rostad was one of those who worked with the Chinese navy to move chemical weapons out of Syria.

China sent four ships to the RIMPAC including missile destroyer Haikou, supply ship Qiandaohu, medical ship Peace Ark, and frigate  Yueyang. Although it is a participant in the exercises, its forces are not included in most of the main combat activities.

Based on international law, a ship is free to navigate through the Exclusive Economic Zone of a country. Talking about the Chinese spy ship, James said the U.S. respects this right and recognizes that a country is free to fly over the territorial seas of any nation.

China, on the other hand, has several complaints about the surveillance activities of the U.S. within its own 200-nautical mile EEZ. In 2009, it reported a Navy intelligence vessel broke international and Chinese regulations by conducting activities within China's EEZ in the Yellow Sea.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ma Zhaoxu explained at the time that the USNS Victorious did not ask permission from China to conduct an activity in the Yellow Sea.