President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) participated in the annual Han Kuang military exercise’s computer simulation yesterday morning.
The Presidential Office confirmed that Ma was picked up by a CM31 armored vehicle from his presidential residence at around 5am and arrived at the Hengshan Command Center for the simulation shortly after.
Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) and Cabinet members also participated in the computer simulation, which in a break with tradition was designed to test how the government would react if the country was devastated by a natural disaster, epidemic or severe economic crisis.
PHOTO: CNA
Because of security concerns, the Ministry of National Defense and the Presidential Office did not supply details of the simulation, but an anonymous official told the Taipei Times that this year’s Han Kuang drill was very different than in the past.
“In previous years, we always simulated a Chinese military strike at us, a decapitation attack on the president or a surprise attack on major infrastructure. But this year, our target for the drill was shifted slightly,” the source said.
Following the computer simulation, a large-scale military exercise will be organized sometime in the summer or fall.
The exercise used to be the largest annual drill for Taiwan’s military and parts of it were open to the public.
Since last year, however, because of the government’s policy of rapprochement with China, public military displays have been canceled and the drill has been downsized.
Ma left the Hengshan Command Center around 11am after the simulation was completed.
In related news, the Coast Guard in Kaohsiung will organize an anti-terrorism drill to be hosted by the president at the Hsin Kuang Harbor tomorrow that will simulate a terrorist attack on the World Games, which will be hosted by the city next month.
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