Taipei: President Lai Ching-te took part in an anti-decapitation drill late Wednesday involving military armored vehicles in response to a simulated People's Liberation Army (PLA) strike targeting Taiwan's head of state. Footage released by the Presidential Office showed Lai boarding a Clouded Leopard armored vehicle before being escorted in a convoy to the National Political and Military Operations Command Center in Taipei's Dazhi neighborhood, a wartime secure command facility reserved for the president and other top government officials.
According to Focus Taiwan, the footage also showed Lai being briefed by a military officer and issuing instructions. Local media reported that three convoys departed from the Presidential Office in succession, apparently to confuse the enemy. Individuals believed to be U.S. government personnel were also seen near the Presidential Office and the convoys' destination, monitoring the exercise.
The latest anti-decapitation drill came after media outlets reported last month that PLA was rehearsing strikes on key facilities in Taiwan, including the Presidential Office and Suao Naval Base, using full-scale mock-ups in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. The plan to escort the president to safety during an emergency, known as the Wan Chun Plan, however, has long been in place.
Wednesday's drill was part of the ongoing Han Kuang military exercises, which began the same day, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a news release Thursday. "The president and his team took part in a drill simulating the command of defensive operations and the continuity of government during an emergency," Kuo said.
"The exercise tested the command structure, interagency coordination and response mechanisms to ensure the government can continue operating effectively while safeguarding national security and the public's daily lives under various emergency scenarios."