Taiwan’s William Lai rehearses late-night emergency escape during military drill

Taiwan’s leader rehearsed a late-night emergency evacuation during the island’s largest annual military exercise in response to growing concerns over potential “decapitation” strikes by the People’s Liberation Army, local media reported on Thursday. Under cover of darkness on Wednesday night, William Lai Ching-te, wearing body armour and a helmet, was transported from his Presidential Office in a Clouded Leopard armoured vehicle to a secure command centre, in accordance with the long-standing “Wan Jun” contingency plan, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. Karen Kuo, spokeswoman for Lai’s office, said the “defence combat command and continuity of government drill” had tested the administration’s command structure, inter-agency coordination and emergency response mechanisms to ensure it could continue functioning in crisis. “The purpose of the exercise is to ensure that the government maintains effective operations in the face of various emergency situations,” Kuo said. Following the United States’ capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a special operation in January and the killing of former Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an air strike in February, discussion has intensified over the likelihood of a potential “decapitation” strike against Taiwan’s leadership by Beijing. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has for years trained for a “beheading” operation in Taiwan. Its Zhurihe training base in Inner Mongolia has featured a full-scale mock-up of Taipei’s Presidential Office Building since at least 2014.