The Royal Navy declared “freedom of navigation rights” as the HMS Albion passed by the Paracel Islands in recent days on its way to Vietnam.
The Albion, a 22,000 ton amphibious ship carrying a contingent of Royal Marines, docked in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday following a deployment in and around Japan.
One source said China sent a frigate and two helicopters to meet with the British vessel, but there was no aggression between the two.
The other source said the Royal Navy ship did not enter the territorial seas around any of the islands, internationally judged as within twelve nautical miles of the feature.
However, they said it does demonstrate Britain does not recognise China’s “excessive claims” in the waters.
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A spokesman for the Royal Navy said: “HMS Albion exercised her rights for freedom of navigation in full compliance with international law and norms.”
The Paracels are currently occupied by China, but have also been claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
There are a number of uninhabited islands of strategic importance in the South China Sea that multiple nearby countries believe rightfully belong to them – a combination of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and China.
The area is a hub for trade, with around $3trillion worth of shipborne trade passing through each year.
China has recently been increasing its activity in the area, building extensive reclamations of reefs and islands and the construction of runways, hangers and missile systems on the disputed islands.
The Chinese government assert it is entitled to build on its territories and says the facilities are only for civilian and necessary self-defence purposes.
The US Navy has conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPS) in the area in the past and have said expressed a desire to see more countries take part.
The Royal Navy has previously voyaged out near to the similarly disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, but again not within the twelve nautical mile limit, according to diplomatic sources.
It has been reported that aircraft and vessels are often spotted and challenged by the Chinese navy.
Just last week the US and Japan held joint military drills in the South China Sea in a move likely to anger Xi Jinping’s regime.
China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday a British Royal Navy warship entered Chinese territorial waters around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea without permission on August 31 and that China’s navy warned the British ship to leave.
The ministry said in a faxed statement: “The Chinese side strongly urges the British side to immediately stop such kinds of provocative actions.”