SYDNEY (Reuters) - A British warship will sail through the South China Sea next month to assert freedom-of-navigation rights, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said in remarks published on Tuesday.

British officials first flagged the voyage six months ago and the journey is likely to stoke tensions with China, who claim control of most of the area and have built military facilities on land features in the sea. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to the energy-rich sea that carries billion of dollars in trade.