A Chinese naval vessel was spotted patrolling near the coast of Hawaii this week, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Thursday.
An Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) spokesperson confirmed that the military monitored a Chinese naval vessel over the course of the week “operating in international waters in the vicinity of Hawaii,” according to the Star-Advertiser. U.S. officials have previously warned of Chinese intelligence operations in the region, and Russian vessels had also encroached on the Hawaiian islands in previous incidents.
It is unclear how far offshore the Chinese vessel was, as is the mission it was pursuing. (RELATED: China Flexes Naval Muscles On Crucial US Ally)
Sailors stand on the deck of the new type 055 guide missile destroyer Nanchang of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy as it participates in a naval parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of China’s PLA Navy in the sea near Qingdao, in eastern China’s Shandong province on April 23, 2019. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
China has flexed its naval muscles deeper into the Pacific Ocean in recent months, deploying the Liaoning and the Shandong aircraft carriers on June 6 and 7 along with other Chinese warships as close as 185 miles from Japan’s shores, according to multiple reports. China has been using the deeper ventures into the ocean to test its deep water capabilities, with the Peoples’ Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) usually only patrolling the “first chain” of islands between the South China Sea up to Japan’s southernmost islands.
China has also made more aggressive maneuvers around Taiwan, most recently holding large-scale military drills around the island in April.
As of 2025, the PLAN is estimated to have 234 warships, enough to make it the largest navy in the world, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
The U.S. is also no stranger to operating its warships in Chinese waters, making routine patrols in the South China Sea and near Taiwan with regional allies in order to dissuade Chinese aggression in the region.
INDOPACOM did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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