Taipei holds drill to prep for attack

Thousands shelter underground briefly

- 

Taipei came to a brief standstill yesterday when air raid sirens forced thousands of people off the streets and into underground shelters and shops 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.

While Communist China has never ruled Taiwan, Beijing insists the island is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.

At 1.30pm sirens sounded across Taipei, bringing the capital city of 2.5 million people to a halt for half an hour.

Motorbikes, cars and public buses stopped on the street and people were directed into shelters, including underground car parks and subway stations.

Some people retreated into office buildings or convenience stores for the duration of the exercise.