Beijing has warned against "stirring up trouble" in the South China Sea after Britain vowed to send a warship through the heart of disputed waters next month.

Gavin Williamson, British Defence Secretary, said HMS Sutherland, an anti-submarine frigate, would sail through the sea on its way home from Australia to assert freedom of navigation rights.

"She'll be sailing through the South China Sea and making it clear our Navy has a right to do that," he told The Australian newspaper after a two-day visit to Sydney and Canberra.

China claims nearly all of the strategic waters, despite partial counter-claims from Taiwan and several south-east Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Observers say China is developing its military capabilities by fortifying and building infrastructure on what were previously reefs and partially-submerged islets in the sea, where more than $5 trillion (£3.8 trillion) of trade passes every year.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the situation on the South China Sea was "improving with each day" and he urged "those outside the region" to respect efforts made by China and its neighbours to resolve differences.

"Currently the South China Sea is calm and tranquil," he added, in response to a question from The Telegraph on the British plans.