TAIPEI, July 25 (Reuters) – Roads emptied and people were ordered to stay indoors in parts of Taiwan, including its capital Taipei, on Monday for an air raid drill as the island intensifies its preparations in case of Chinese attack.
Sirens sounded at 1:30 p.m. (0530 GMT) for the mandatory street evacuation drills, which effectively shut down cities in northern Taiwan for 30 minutes.
A “missile alert”, asking people to immediately evacuate to safety, was sent via text message.
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“It is necessary to make preparations in case of war,” Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je said in a speech after overseeing drills for the exercise named Wan An, which means eternal peace.
China claims to democratically govern Taiwan as its territory and has never ruled out taking the island by force. Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claim and vows to defend itself.
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“Chinese military aircraft have frequently harassed Taiwan in recent years and there was even the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war in February, these incidents remind us that we must be vigilant in times of peace,” Ko said.
In Taipei, police ordered vehicles to move to the side of the road and passers-by were told to take cover. Shops and restaurants have lowered their shutters and turned off the lights to avoid becoming a target in the event of a nighttime attack.
Firefighters trained to put out a fire started by a missile attack.
The sirens sounded 30 minutes later to give the go-ahead.
Concerns over China’s intentions towards Taiwan have heightened tensions with the United States, which, while it does not recognize the island as a separate country, is required by US law to provide it with the means to defend themselves.
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Spokesperson Zhao Lijian also told a daily press briefing that the Chinese side would take “strong” action if the visit continues.
Periodic air raid drills are required by law in Taiwan.
The island has raised its alert level since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, although it has not reported any unusual Chinese military activity.
Other parts of Taiwan will conduct street evacuation drills this week. The exercise had been canceled for the past two years due to COVID-19.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has made building defense capacity her top priority and said only her people can decide their future.
“When everyone gets the text, don’t panic,” Tsai said in a public reminder on Facebook early Monday. “Citizens, please evacuate as directed.”
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Reporting by Yimou Lee, Fabian Hamacher and Ann Wang; Editing by Robert Birsel
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