China Marks 60 Years of Missile Force, Patrols SCS
China on Tuesday marked a significant dual display of military strength, commemorating the 60th anniversary of its strategic missile forces while the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command conducted combat readiness patrols around Huangyan Island (Scarborough Shoal) in the South China Sea. The coordinated announcements, published by Xinhua News, underscore Beijing’s growing strategic deterrence capabilities and its continued assertiveness in regional maritime disputes.
A Milestone for China’s Strategic Forces
July 1, 2026, marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of China’s strategic missile forces, originally established as the Second Artillery Corps on July 1, 1966. The anniversary coincides with the 105th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, creating a powerful symbolic convergence that links the Party’s leadership with national defense achievements.
According to Xinhua, the Rocket Force — renamed from the Second Artillery Corps by President Xi Jinping on December 31, 2015 — operates under the strategic principle of “nuclear and conventional dual-capability, global deterrence and strike.” State media described the force as “the core force of our country’s strategic deterrence, the strategic support for our country’s great power status, and an important cornerstone for safeguarding national security.”
The anniversary comes amid a period of rapid modernization for China’s missile arsenal. In September 2024, the Rocket Force successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean — the first such test in 44 years. The following year, during the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan military parade, new missile types including the DF-61 and DF-5C were displayed, described by state media as having “global strike coverage.”
Combat Patrols in the South China Sea
On the same day, the PLA Southern Theater Command announced it had deployed naval and air forces for combat readiness patrols in the airspace and territorial waters around Huangyan Island. The Southern Theater Command stated that “since June, theater forces have continuously strengthened patrols and vigilance around Huangyan Island’s territorial waters, effectively responding to various types of infringements and provocative acts.”
The patrols follow weeks of heightened tensions at the disputed feature. In late May 2026, the Philippines detected a floating structure at the southeast entrance of Huangyan Island. Manila issued diplomatic protests, demanding its removal. China responded that the structure was a temporary scientific research facility operated by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and that it had been removed after the research was completed.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated on June 17 that “China has indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and its adjacent waters,” adding that scientific research activities there are “the legitimate rights of a sovereign state.” Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang echoed this position on June 25, warning the Philippines to “stop infringements and provocative acts.”
Strategic Significance
The timing of these two announcements is strategically significant. Together, they convey both China’s growing strategic deterrent capability through its missile modernization and its willingness to assert territorial claims in the South China Sea. The missile force anniversary narrative, rich with patriotic stories of individual soldiers and scientists, is clearly aimed at building domestic pride and support for military modernization.
China gained effective control of Huangyan Island in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine naval forces. The 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling, which China rejects, declared the shoal part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Tensions have persisted with periodic incidents, including China’s 2025 announcement of plans to establish a nature reserve at the atoll and the recent discovery of a rare coral reef blue hole in its lagoon.
What to Watch For
In the short term, heightened tensions in the South China Sea are likely, particularly between China and the Philippines. China’s missile modernization continues apace, with increasingly capable systems having implications for regional strategic stability. The 60th anniversary serves as a milestone for China’s strategic forces, with continued emphasis on modernization, readiness, and the integration of nuclear and conventional capabilities under the Rocket Force’s expanding mandate.
As the PLA Rocket Force marks six decades of development, its trajectory suggests a continued focus on achieving “world-class strategic military service” status — a goal that will shape Asia-Pacific security dynamics for years to come.