Taipei came to a brief standstill on Thursday when air raid sirens forced people off the streets and into underground shelters in a rehearsal for a Chinese attack.
The annual civilian drill is being held in cities across Taiwan this week, alongside military training, to prepare the self-governed island for a potential Chinese invasion.
Communist China has never ruled Taiwan but Beijing insists the island is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.
Sirens sounded across Taipei at 1:30 pm (0530 GMT), bringing the capital city of 2.5 million people to a halt for half an hour.
Police waving batons stopped motorbikes, cars and public buses on the streets and people were directed into shelters, including basements and subway stations.
Some people retreated into office buildings for the duration of the exercise.
Taiwan holds air raid drill to prepare for Chinese attackhttps://t.co/LDAyuGFqhm
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) July 17, 2025
