By Meg Chang

Taiwan’s first exercise combining multiple natural disasters with a military crisis successfully wrapped up June 21, the National Security Council said.

Presided over by President Ma Ying-jeou, the one-day exercise began with a scenario in which northern Taiwan was hard hit by super typhoon Haishen and suffered damages more severe than those inflicted by Typhoon Morakot, which ravaged southern Taiwan in 2009.

“This exercise provided an opportunity to put to the test the central and local governments’ decision-making and crisis management capabilities in the face of compound natural disasters,” Ma said.

“We should learn from Japan’s experience in the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis,” Ma noted, as the geography of Taiwan also makes it vulnerable to multiple disasters, necessitating greater preparedness for evacuations and rescue operations.

As part of the drill, the president and Vice President Vincent C. Siew held emergency meetings with Premier Wu Den-yih, National Security Council Secretary-General Hu Wei-chen and cabinet ministers at the Central Emergency Operations Center in the morning.

After video conferencing with Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin, New Taipei City Mayor Eric Liluan Chu and Taoyuan County Magistrate Wu Chih-yang, Ma gave specific orders in response to the simulated conditions in their areas: extensive flooding in Taipei; 3,000 people missing in New Taipei, with 38,000 evacuated; and release of excess water from Shimen Reservoir causing flooding in Taoyuan.

Ma later entered the Yuanshan command center, where he continued to oversee the exercise and direct officials and ROC armed forces in rescue and evacuation operations.

“As long as we are fully prepared for the worst case scenario and stay alert at all times, we can effectively minimize the potential damages when a real disaster strikes,” the president said.

Taiwan Today, Government Information Office, Republic of China (Taiwan), 22.06.2011

Die Presseabteilung der Taipeh Vertretung mit Sitz in Berlin bietet folgende Dienstleistungen an: Erläuterung der Politik und der Entwicklung der Republik China (Taiwan), Verbreitung von Stellungnahmen und Pressemitteilungen von taiwanischer Seite sowie Beantwortung von Fragen über das Land;
Angebot von Informationsmaterial über Taiwan in deutscher, englischer, und chinesischer Sprache (Broschüren, Filme, Videos, DVDs, Diafilme, CDs);
Anlaufstelle für deutsche Medienvertreter, Angebot von Informationsreisen nach Taiwan für deutsche Journalisten;
Organisation von Veranstaltungen mit dem Ziel, Kontakte zwischen Deutschland und Taiwan zu vertiefen (Vorträge, Seminare, Ausstellungen, Filmfestivals etc.);
Sonstige Öffentlichkeitsarbeit

Presseabteilung Taipeh Vertretung
Markgrafenstraße 35
10117 Berlin

This release was published on openPR.