Sirens and evacuations as Taipei rehearses to counter China invasion threat

BBC:

Taiwan’s capital Taipei came to a standstill on Thursday as the island held one of its largest-ever civil defence exercises against possible Chinese invasion.

Air raid sirens rang out across the metropolitan area and in some areas residents sought shelter indoors, while traffic ground to a halt. The city also held mass evacuation drills and mass casualty event rehearsals.

The exercise was held in conjunction with Taiwan’s largest ever war games – the annual Han Kuang exercises – as the island increasingly attempts to ramp up its defences.

China claims self-ruled Taiwan as its part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to “reunify” with the island.

Tensions have increased since last year when Taiwan elected its president William Lai, whom China reviles as a “separatist”.

Thursday’s event was attended by Lai, government and city officials, and foreign officials including Raymond Greene, the head of the American Institute of Taiwan which serves as a de facto US embassy on the island.

In a speech at the end of the exercise, Lai stressed the importance of unity and resilience of Taiwan’s society to protect the island and its democratic values.

He also stressed that the Han Kuang and Urban Resilience exercises were aimed at building up Taiwan’s defences and that the island was not seeking war.

“We hope by preparing for war, we can avoid war, to achieve the goal of peace,” he said. “With preparation, we have strength.”

China has criticised the exercises as “a bluff and self-deceiving stance” by Lai and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party aimed at pushing a pro-independence agenda.

While previous Han Kuang exercises also had civil defence components, this year authorities have combined them in a single Urban Resilience exercise across the island which began on Tuesday and ends on Friday.

Each day of the exercise sees air raid sirens ringing out for half an hour in several cities.

Residents in designated areas in each city must shelter indoors or risk incurring a fine. All shops and restaurants must also pause operations. Road traffic must also come to a stop, with drivers required to pull over and head indoors immediately.

In Taipei, hundreds of emergency workers and volunteers took part in air raid drills and evacuations at a busy temple square, schools, subway stations and highways.

They also held a mock mass casualty event simulating missile or bomb strikes on buildings, where emergency personnel pulled out survivors and treated their injuries, and set up distribution points for emergency supplies.