Two Type 075 amphibious assault ships of PLA Navy, the Guangxi and the Hainan, sail in formation at an undisclosed sea region in 2022. Photo: Screenshot of a video released by the PLA Navy.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy reportedly has for the first time deployed an amphibious assault ship to the Nansha Qundao (also known as Nansha Islands) in the South China Sea, a move experts said on Sunday is preparation for any emergency response amid repeated provocations by the Philippines.

China's Type 075 landing helicopter dock, also known as amphibious assault ship, was spotted near Zhubi Jiao (also known as Zhubi Reef) on Friday, marking its first deployment to the Nansha Qundao in the South China Sea, the Manila Times reported on Saturday.

The reported maiden mission on the Type 075 amphibious assault ship came shortly after another main amphibious warship of the PLA Navy, a Type 071 amphibious landing ship, for the first time hosted hovercraft drills near Xianbin Jiao (also known as Xianbin Reef) in the Nansha Qundao on June 4, according to a June 7 report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Philippine media quickly linked the PLA Navy's warship deployment to the China Coast Guard's (CCG) latest administrative law enforcement procedures, which took effect on Saturday.

But observers pointed out that it is the Philippines that has engaged in continuous provocations against the Chinese islands and reefs in the first place, and the Philippines is acting like a thief crying "stop thief."

In a recent incident, the Philippine coast guard dispatched boats to illegally land on islets of Xianbin Jiao, which met with CCG restrictive measures; another recent incident involved Philippine personnel stationed aboard its warship illegally grounded on Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef) pointing guns at CCG vessels.

Around the day of the implementation of the CCG's new procedures on Saturday, the Philippine coast guard sent vessels to both Xianbin Jiao and Huangyan Dao (also known as Huangyan Island), according to open-source intelligence data gathered by Chinese technology and intelligence company MizarVision on Friday and Saturday.

The Philippines could be testing China's new changes following the implementation of the CCG's new procedures, analysts said.

It is totally legitimate for the PLA Navy to conduct training exercises on and near Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Sunday.

The drills contribute to the PLA Navy's capabilities in safeguarding China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, the expert said, noting that the presence of some of China's main amphibious warfare vessels will ensure any potential emergency will not lead to worse scenarios.

The Chinese side remains highly vigilant and will continue to take all necessary countermeasures against the dangerous, escalatory acts by the Philippine side, said Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, in a regular press release on Friday on the recent incidents in the Nansha Qundao.