Taiwan has begun its annual air-raid evacuation drills, simulating missile and other attacks by China.
The four-day drills are being held sequentially in four regions from Monday through Thursday.
On the first day, the drills took place in seven central cities and counties. Air-raid sirens sounded and warning messages were sent to smartphones.
People were required to stay indoors for 30 minutes after the alert was issued.
In downtown Taichung City, police officers guided pedestrians into buildings. Cars and buses had to be pulled over.
The streets fell silent as department stores dimmed their lights and shops lowered their shutters.
A woman in her 20s waiting inside a convenient store for the alert to be lifted said evacuation drills are necessary as Taiwan needs to bolster its defense capabilities. She also said she has checked the locations of air-raid shelters.
A man in his 50s was on a bus when the sirens rang out. He said he is willing to cooperate with the government because the exercises can help raise vigilance.
Also on Monday, Taiwan began its annual large-scale military drills in parallel with the evacuation drills.
On the first day of the five-day event, Taiwanese personnel confirmed procedures for moving fighter jets and ships to locations less susceptible to missile attacks by the Chinese military.
Taiwan also plans to hold anti-landing drills using live ammunition on remote islands, including the Penghu Islands.
The Taiwanese defense ministry said it aims to make this year’s exercises as close as possible to actual combat, with increased night exercises and troops not being informed in advance of the specific scenarios.
The ministry is also stepping up its public relations through social media and other channels. It will release its first video featuring an AI-generated announcer who will explain the drills. The video has been produced in 18 languages, including Chinese, English and Japanese.