Taiwan continues large-scale exercises aimed at preparing for a possible military invasion by mainland China.
According to AFP, on 17 July, the island’s capital Taipei froze for half an hour – at the signal of an air alert, the streets were deserted, and the city’s residents descended into subways, basements and shelters. Police stopped traffic and directed passers-by to safe zones. Some residents hid in office buildings and underground passages. At the same time, scenarios for distributing humanitarian aid were being worked out, with queues of rice, oil and salt lining up outside temporary distribution points.
Taiwan’s President Lai Tsingde is actively strengthening the island’s defence capabilities, relying on the involvement of both the army and the civilian population. The exercises are taking place against the backdrop of sharply strained relations with Beijing, which considers Taiwan a rebellious province of the PRC and does not reject a forceful scenario of regaining control over the island.
The military part of the manoeuvres – the largest Han Guan training in recent years – includes the participation of reservists and combat training in urban areas. The Taiwanese military is practising repelling enemy troop landings, night operations in subways and dealing with massive strikes.
For the first time, American weaponry is being used on a very large scale – in particular, Stinger man-portable anti-aircraft systems and mobile missile launchers deployed in the capital.
Analysts note that such exercises not only practise the army’s actions, but also shape citizens’ understanding of the realities of modern warfare, AFP reports.