The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense announced today, Saturday, August 6, 2022, the launch of flares late Friday night, to repel seven drones flying over the remote Kinmen Islands, and to warn unidentified aircraft flying over the Matsu Islands.

The ministry said that forces were placed on high alert in the two areas off the coast of mainland China after Beijing began large-scale military exercises last week, in response to the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.

Taiwan's announcement of launching flares comes as China conducts the largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan, to showcase its unique military and technological weapons, some for the first time.

Through these maneuvers, Beijing seeks to assert its "right" to annex Taiwan, and to warn Washington, which supports the self-governing island.

China began its exercises in six directions around Taiwan, some as close as 20 km, as a Chinese response to the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.

As part of the show of force, China launched ballistic missiles over Taiwan, and sent drones over the airspace of the Kinmen Islands.

It also sent fighter jets across the median line, and deployed two of its 055-class stealth guided missile destroyers in the waters off eastern Taiwan for the first time.

According to reports, the Chinese Navy cruiser of the "055 Renhai Class" surface weapon destroyer, known as the "Nanchang" class, features stealth design and is equipped with air defense missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes.

The Chinese army also deployed a hypersonic glide vehicle launched from the ground, anti-ship, carrying new missiles of the "DF-17" type, described as an "aircraft carrier killer".

This ballistic missile is specially designed to penetrate advanced air defense systems, is difficult to intercept due to its maximum speed, can strike targets in South Korea, Japan, and Russia, targets warships, and threatens US forces in the western Pacific.

Beijing conducted exercises with the "DF-41" nuclear ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, nicknamed the "East Wind," considered the most dangerous intercontinental missile, having the longest range among all ballistic missiles, ranging between 12,000 and 15,000 km, and capable of carrying 12 nuclear warheads.