The China Post
Date: May 18, 2017
By: The China Post

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Northern Taiwan had its once-a-year air raid drills Thursday afternoon.

At 1:30 p.m., slow, deep sirens rang out in every town and city in the north, sending pedestrians off the sidewalk and scooters abruptly pulling to the side of the road.

Streets stayed nearly empty until 2 p.m., when a 90-second siren lifted the drill.

This was the 40th Wan An Exercise, a defense drill against an air attack by the R.O.C.’s historical adversary, the PRC.

The drill began in 1978 under just-elected President Chiang Ching-kuo and has persisted to this day, even through the cross-strait detente under previous president Ma Ying-jeou.    [FULL  STORY]