At the same time China was invited into Pearl Harbor and has been participating in Rim of the Pacific exercises for the first time, it’s also had a spy ship parked off Hawaii, U.S. Pacific Fleet confirmed Friday.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy auxiliary general intelligence ship has been operating within the United States’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone around Hawaii but not within the 12-nautical-mile territorial seas, said Capt. Darryn James, spokesman for U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.

China is seeking to elevate its status as a maritime power with its participation in RIMPAC, and as such, the exercise carries symbolic as well as practical significance.

Brad Glosserman, executive director of the Pacific Forum Center for Strategic and International Studies in Honolulu, said he understands China’s desire to gather intelligence during RIMPAC.

But doing so and being outed for it while China is a first-time invited guest is a public relations blunder.

"Is it a poor PR move? Yes. Am I surprised? No," Glosserman said. "Chinese behavior is proving increasingly inexplicable in recent weeks."

The Navy previously confirmed that China sent an AGI spy ship near Hawaii in 2012 during the last RIMPAC exercise — when China was not an invited participant.

"The bottom line is that we’re closely monitoring it," James said Friday. "I think it’s important for us to say that we can assure the public that we’ve taken all precautions necessary to protect critical information. We’re not surprised that it’s there."

The Chinese surveillance ship "is operating in waters in accordance with international law, and we do the same," James said. "The U.S. Navy operates in the waters beyond the territorial seas of coastal nations around the world in accordance with international law. So China’s AGI is permitted to do the same."

Before the at-sea phase of RIMPAC began, "the multinational exercise leadership informed all the RIMPAC participants about the presence of the ship and to give it due regard for safety and navigation," James said.

China sent four ships to participate in RIMPAC — the missile destroyer Haikou, missile frigate Yueyang, supply ship Qiandaohu and hospital ship Peace Ark — representing the largest ship contingent after the United States.

The United States routinely sends surveillance ships and planes off China’s coast, but news of the Chinese spy ship off Hawaii has renewed debate as to whether China — a potential future military foe of the United States — should have been invited to RIMPAC in the first place.

The National Defense Authorization Act of 2000 prohibits military-to-military contact with China if that contact would "create a national security risk" due to exposure to operational areas, including advanced combined-arms and joint combat operations.

Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes of Virginia, chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, told U.S. Naval Institute News that with China’s disregard for the principles of freedom of navigation and peaceful resolution of territorial disputes, "it was already a stretch to reward Beijing with an invite to such a prestigious event like RIMPAC."

"Now we learn they chose to disrespect the 20 other international participants by sailing an intelligence-gathering ship directly into the middle of the exercise," Forbes said. "It is clear that China is not ready to be a responsible partner and that their first trip to RIMPAC should probably be their last."

The Pacific Forum’s Glosserman penned a piece for The National Interest in May stating, "One question is foremost in the minds of observers of Chinese foreign policy these days: What is Beijing thinking?"

China seems intent on irritating or picking fights with most of its neighbors, Glosserman said, adding it "would be hard to construct a foreign policy better designed to undermine China’s long-term interests."

China did not respond to an email seeking comment on the surveillance ship’s presence off Hawaii.

This year’s RIMPAC naval exercise, the 24th in the series that began in 1971, runs from June 26 to Aug. 1 in and around Hawaii and San Diego. Twenty-two nations, 49 surface ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating.

Until July 30, when all ships return to port, the Haikou and Yueyang are scheduled to conduct ship maneuvering with other vessels, replenishment at sea, dive training with U.S. divers, large-caliber gunnery practice, ship-boarding using small boats and a helicopter, and counterpiracy operations, including preventing other vessels from approaching and boarding.