China's military will carry out more military exercises in the South China Sea this month involving advanced warships and submarines, state news agency Xinhua said yesterday, terming the drills routine.

China claims almost all of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of maritime trade passes each year. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

Xinhua said the ships, including a new guided missile destroyed, would take part in anti-submarine, anti-missile and other exercises. It did not say exactly where the drills would take place, but noted they were routine and had been planned forthisyear.

China periodically announces such exercises in the South China Sea as it tries to demonstrate it is being transparent about its military deployments.

Rival countries have wrangled over territory in the South China Sea for centuries, but tension has steadily increased in recent years. Washington has criticized Beijing's building of artificial islands in the disputed Spratly archipelago, and has conducted sea and air patrols near them.