Taiwan drills empty Taipei streets, slow mobile internet in China simulation | News. az
Taiwan’s capital Taipei fell unusually quiet on Thursday as air raid sirens sounded and residents were ordered off the streets during annual military exercises designed to simulate the response to a potential. . .
Taiwan’s capital Taipei fell unusually quiet on Thursday as air raid sirens sounded and residents were ordered off the streets during annual military exercises designed to simulate the response to a potential Chinese attack. The drills also included a new element: authorities deliberately slowed mobile internet service in northern Taiwan to replicate the communications disruptions that could occur during a conflict,Reutersreported. Mobile internet speeds were dramatically reduced for 30 minutes, although fixed-line connections and Wi-Fi remained unaffected. The government had announced the exercise in advance. RECOMMENDED STORIESShein targets August 28 Hong Kong IPO in major test for fast-fashion giantInside massive US marriage fraud case targeting Chinese nationalsChina's C919 jet makes first international commercial flightChina's reformist ex-premier Zhu Rongji dies at 97Police directed pedestrians indoors as buses and cars pulled to the side of roads during the mock air raid. Amy Lin, 33, said the exercise offered a glimpse of what life could look like during an actual conflict. “I think if there really were a war, it might really be like this — a state of having absolutely no internet at all,” she said from an underground shopping mall in Taipei. The exercise was part of Taiwan’s 10-day Han Kuang war games, which are designed to test the island’s ability to respond to a potentialChineseinvasion. The military exercises have been accompanied by civil defense drills aimed at preparing the population for emergencies. Taiwan conducted its first mobile internet throttling exercise in central Taiwan on Monday before repeating it in the north on Thursday. Earlier in the day, President Lai Ching-te visited an underground hospital car park in New Taipei that had been converted into an emergency medical ward. He also inspected a supermarket to observe how essential supplies would be distributed during a crisis. Lai was accompanied by senior foreign diplomats based in Taiwan, including representatives of the United States, Israel and Canada. “We are not facing regional geopolitical changes alone, but together with the shared concern and joint efforts of the international community,” Lai said. The military exercises have also focused on the possibility of a Chinese blockade. On Wednesday, Taiwan’s navy and coast guard conducted an anti-blockade drill off the island’s east coast, simulating the protection and escort of a merchant vessel attempting to reach port. A minesweeper cleared a safe navigation route while naval and coast guard vessels provided security for the simulated merchant ship. Taiwan’s defense ministry said the exercise was the first time the navy and coast guard had jointly conducted an anti-blockade drill. The exercises come amid heightened concern in Taipei over Beijing’s military and maritime pressure. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims. News. AzBy Aysel Mammadzada