Sirens and evacuations like Taipei rehearses to counteract the threat from China

The capital of Taiwan Taipei stagnated Thursday as the island conducted one of its largest civil protection exercises against a possible Chinese invasion.

The air attack sirens rose through the metropolitan area and in some areas the residents searched for shelter indoors as the traffic stopped. The city also conducted mass training for evacuation and mass rehearsals of victim events.

The exercise was held in connection with the largest military games in Taiwan – Han Quang’s annual exercises – as the island is increasingly trying to increase its defense.

China claims Taiwan’s self -government as its part of its territory and has not excluded the use of force to “reunite” the island.

Tension has increased since last year when Taiwan has chosen its President William Lai, whom China rethinks as a “separatist”.

The event on Thursday was attended by LAI, government and city officials and foreign officials, including Raymond Green, head of the US Institute of Taiwan, who serves as a factual embassy of the United States on the island.

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

He also stressed that the resistance exercises of Khan Quang and urban resistance were aimed at building Taiwan’s defense and that the island was not looking for war.

“We hope that when we prepare for war, we can avoid war, reach the purpose of peace,” he said. “We have strength with preparation.”

China criticizes the exercises such as a “bluff and self -deliberate position” by Lai and its ruling democratic progressive party aimed at passing the independence program.

While Han Quang’s previous exercises also had components of civil defense, this year the authorities combined them into a one -time exercise for the resistance of the city island, which began on Tuesday and ended on Friday.

Every day of the exercise, he sees the sirens for air attacks, which call for half an hour in several cities.

Residents in certain areas in each city must shelter indoors or risk taking a fine. All shops and restaurants also need to pause operations. Road traffic should also stop, with drivers withdrawing and headed immediately indoors.

In Taipei, hundreds of emergency workers and volunteers participated in air training and evacuations to a busy square on Temple, schools, metro stations and highways.

They also held a MARKET EVENT for casualties, simulating rocket or bombs by buildings, where the emergency staff removed the survivors and treated their injuries and put outputs for the distribution of emergency supplies.

This week, the urban resistance exercise is the most civil defense training that Taiwan has conducted this year as it tries to prepare its cities for possible attacks and raise the awareness of the defense of its population.

While US officials warn of an immediate threat from China and that President Jinping wants his military to be able to invade Taiwan until 2027, most Taiwans remain skeptical that a real invasion will happen.

A poll, made last October by the government -bound brain trust, the Institute of National Defense and Security Studies (Indsr), found that more than 60% of Taiwanese did not believe that China would invade in five years.

“The chances of invading China are low. If they really wanted to invade us, they would have done it a long time ago,” said Ben, a 29-year-old finance professional interviewed by the BBC in Taipei on Wednesday.

“But I believe we need these workouts, every country needs it and you have to practice your protection … I believe there is still a threat from China.”

Others were more shy.

“There is just a big difference in the strengths of China and the military in Taiwan,” says Mr. Kue, a 48-year-old office worker. “There is no point in defending ourselves against attack.”

The IDSR poll found that only half of Taiwan’s population trusted their armed powers to defend the island.

In recent years, it has been a long -standing mood that prompted the Taiwanese government to increase its military and expand Khan Quang.

More than 22,000 soldiers – about 50% more than last year – rehearsed, protecting the island from potential attacks from China in land, sea and air training.

Newly acquired military hardware such as US mobile missiles, as well as rockets made by Taiwan, have been tested.

This year’s Han Kuang exercise also focuses on the fight against Grayzone’s war and the misinformation from China, as well as the rehearsal of military defense in cities.

In recent days, soldiers have been involved in a city war exercise at an exhibition center and in the Taipei subway.

On Thursday morning at Riverside Park in Taipei’s suburb, troops practice re -fuel and re -arming the Black Hawk and Apache helicopter with Hellfire and Stinger delivered by the US.

The day before the military rehearsed to push enemy troops on the streets of Thassing and turned a high school in Tajuan into a station repair station.