‘TikTok wouldn’t open at all’: Taiwan simulates an internet blackout, with an eye on China threat

A student runs across the street to take shelter shortly before the start of an air-raid drill in Taipei, Taiwan. This year, the drills include a cutting of internet speeds to simulate an attack on communications by China. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images

In Taipei, the streets swiftly empty as air raid sirens ring out and alerts ping on mobile phones. Police officers usher any stragglers into shelters, leaving the capital suddenly deserted.

In cities across Taiwan, these kinds of drills are a fact of life every year, amid the growing threat posed by China across the strait, but this time there is something different.