Air raid sirens rang out and streets emptied in northern Taiwan yesterday during annual air raid drills that also included the government limiting mobile Internet access to simulate what might happen in the event of a Chinese attack.
In this year’s 10-day Han Kuang war games, which end today, the military has practiced fighting a Chinese invasion and the government has also staged civil defense drills.
On Monday, the government held its first-ever mobile Internet “throttling” exercise in central Taiwan, with the exercise repeated in the northern part of the nation yesterday afternoon.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Lasting 30 minutes, mobile Internet speeds slowed dramatically, although fixed-line Internet and Wi-Fi were not affected.
The government had flagged the drills well in advance.
Police ushered people off the streets to seek shelter indoors during the mock air attack, with buses and cars pulling to the side of the road.
Photo: George Tsrong, Taipei Times
Earlier in the day, President William Lai (賴清德) visited an underground car park at Shuang Ho Hospital in New Taipei City that had been turned into an emergency ward, and a supermarket to see how provisions would be distributed in an emergency.
He was accompanied by senior foreign diplomats based in Taiwan, including US, Israeli and Canadian representatives.
Taiwan has been keen to learn from Israel about its civil defense operations.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
“We are not facing regional geopolitical changes alone, but together with the shared concern and joint efforts of the international community,” Lai said of the presence of the diplomats.
At the hospital, the president inspected the emergency ward’s control zone, combat-readiness supply storage, blood donation station and core medical areas, including general wards, emergency dialysis units and intensive care units.
The hospital can convert its 3,504m2 underground parking lot into a fully functional underground medical center within 48 hours of receiving instructions, its medical team said.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA
The military parts of the exercises also continued.
On Wednesday, the armed forces carried out an anti-blockade drill, using the navy and coast guard to simulate escorting a merchant ship.
The navy worked with coast guard vessels to complete the escort and security protection duties, while a minesweeper cleared a safe navigation channel and guided the simulated merchant vessel to port, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
Photo: CNA
The Coast Guard Administration, which would have an auxiliary role helping the navy in time of war, said the port the ship was taken to was on the east coast.
It said it was the first time it had worked with the navy to hold an anti-blockade drill.
Early yesterday, the military held a defensive blockade drill in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華) aimed at preventing enemy armored units from advancing further into the heart of the capital.
The simulated battle took place on Guangfu Bridge (光復橋) and at intersections at both ends of the bridge.
The drill simulated a scenario in which enemy forces had carried out an amphibious landing and were advancing toward the capital.
Military police dressed in camouflage uniforms placed gabions and Jersey barriers on the bridge to block the enemy’s advance. They also secured the perimeter on the Taipei side of the bridge by deploying Czech hedgehogs, barbed wire and barricades along three sides of an intersection to create a “kill zone.”
Tour buses requisitioned from the private sector were also deployed as barriers under the military’s civilian force requisition plan.
Military police armed with T112 rifles simulated engagements with the opposing force, while attack drones simulated bombs being dropped from the air.
Additional reporting by Cheng Ching-yi and CNA
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