Sirens and evacuation when Taipei rehearses to resist the threat of invasion of China

The capital of Taiwan Taipei stopped on Thursday when one of its largest civil defense against a possible Chinese invasion took place on the island.

Air coating sirens sounded throughout the capital’s area, and in some areas the residents searched for shelter indoors and the road stopped. The city also conducted mass evacuation exercises and rehearsals of mass events.

The exercise was conducted in conjunction with the largest in the history of military games in Taiwan – the annual exercises of Khan Quan – since the island is increasingly trying to increase its defense.

China claims that it itself manages Taiwan as part of its territory and did not rule out the use of force for “reunification” with the island.

Tensions have increased since last year, when Taiwan chose its President William Laia, whom China passes as a “separatist”.

The event was attended by Lai, government and city authorities, as well as foreign officials, including Raymond Green, head of the US Taiwan Institute, which serves as the actual US Embassy on the island.

In a speech at the end of the exercises, Lai emphasized the importance of the unity and sustainability of the Taiwan society to protect the island and its democratic values.

He also emphasized that Khan Quang’s exercises and urban sustainability were aimed at creating the defense of Taiwan and that the island did not seek war.

“We hope that when preparing for the war, we can avoid war, achieve the goal of peace,” he said. “We have strength with preparation.”

China criticized the exercises as “bluffing and self -awareness” by La and its ruling democratic progressive party aimed at pushing the Independence agenda.

While the preliminary exercises Khan Quang also were components of civil defense, this year the authorities united them in a single urban sustainability through the island that began on Tuesday and ending on Friday.

Every day of exercise sees how the air plaque goes out for half an hour in several cities.

Residents in the designated areas in each city should be sheltered on the premises or at risk of applying a fine. All shops and restaurants should also suspend surgery. The road movement must also stop, and the drivers are necessary to drag and head the room immediately.

In Taipei, hundreds of ambulance workers and volunteers took part in the training directions and evacuation on the busy temple, schools, subway and highways.

They also conducted mocking activities on mass losses that mimic missile or bombs on buildings where ambulance staff pulled out those who lived and treated their injuries, and created distribution points for emergency supplies.

This week, the city’s resistance is the last Taiwan civil defense drill this year as it tries to prepare their cities for possible attacks and increase the awareness of the population protection.

While US officials have warned of the inevitable threat from China and that President Xi Jinping wants his military to invade Taiwan until 2027, most Taiway remains skeptical of what is the actual invasion.

One poll made in October last year, related to the Government of the Analytical Center, the National Protection and Security Institute (IndSR), showed that more than 60% of the Taiwan do not believe that China is invading in the next five years.

“The chances of invasion of China are low. If they really wanted to break from us, they would have done it a long time,” said Ben, a 29-year-old financial professional, BBC interviewed on Taipei on Wednesday.

“But I believe that we need these workouts, every country needs this, and you need to practice its defense … I believe that China is still threatened.”

Others were more skeptical.

“There is too much difference in the strengths of China and Taiwan militants,” said Mr. Xue, a 48-year-old office worker. “There is no use by protecting yourself from the attack.”

The IDSR poll showed that only half of the Taiwan population had confidence in the ability of its armed forces to defend the island.

These are long -standing moods that have pushed the Taiwanese government in recent years to improve their military and expand Khan Quang.

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

Recently purchased military equipment was checked, such as the US Mobile missile system and Taiwan.

This year, Khan Quang’s exercises were also focused on combating grazon and misinformation from China, as well as military defense rehearsals in cities.

In recent days, soldiers participated in the exercises in the city war in the exhibition center and in the subway in Taipei.

Thursday morning at Riverside Park in Taipei’s suburbs, troops practiced re -fuel and relocating Black Hawk and Apache helicopters with Hellfire and Stinger missiles.

The day before the military rehearsed, pushing away from the enemy’s troops on the streets of Taichung, and turned high school into Taouan into a repair station.