By national security and defence reporter Andrew Greene

Updated Thu at 4:46am
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Map: Australia

Royal Australian Navy frigates will proceed with a long-planned training exercise with Chinese sailors next week, despite rising military and diplomatic tensions in the South China Sea.

The United States this week deployed a guided missile destroyer near the Spratly Islands as part of its challenge to China's territorial claims.

HMAS Stuart and HMAS Arunta are scheduled to visit the Chinese port of Zhanjiang this weekend, ahead of a live firing exercise with Chinese ships on Monday.

Defence Minister Marise Payne said the exercise would go ahead as planned, despite recent events.

"The Royal Australian Navy has a long history of engagement with regional navies and regularly conducts port visits and exercises — including in China," Ms Payne said in a statement.

"There have been no changes or delays to the schedule of the HMAS Arunta and HMAS Stuart since the United States activity in the South China Sea on 27 October 2015."

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Australia had not been asked to join the US activity and had no plans to do so.

"We have joint exercises with the United States navy, we have joint exercises with the Chinese navy — so we will continue to operate in that region," she told reporters in Melbourne.

"We believe fundamentally in the principle of freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight and we will continue to do that in accordance with international law."

The Royal Australian Navy is the only Western defence force to carry out "live firing" exercises with the Chinese Navy, and first did so back in 2011.