China’s Fujian sparks fears about Taiwan tensions with emergency drill for blackouts
- The exercise on Tuesday simulated a large-scale power outage in the southeastern province, which is just across the strait from Taiwan
- The drill prompted frenzied discussion online, with some speculating it was related to the possible outbreak of war with the self-ruled island
An emergency drill in preparation for potential blackouts in China’s Fujian province has drawn widespread attention online amid high tensions with Taiwan.
The exercise on Tuesday simulated a large-scale power outage in the southeastern province – which is just across the Taiwan Strait from the self-ruled island – caused by a typhoon and “external damage”.
A level-two emergency response was also launched during the event for rescue and power restoration, the government-run Fujian Daily reported on its website.
The drill, one of the largest in years, was conducted by the Fujian provincial government and the local office of China’s State Grid, a state-owned utility provider.
We must stay alert to the possibility that our power facilities will be targeted amid Taiwan retaliations or US intervention
Organisers simulated rescues after power cuts on offshore islands, as well as emergency responses to terrorism, cyberattacks and blackouts at hazardous chemical plants, the report said.
“We must stay alert to the possibility that our power facilities will be targeted amid Taiwan retaliations or US intervention,” said one user on Weibo, China’s equivalent to Twitter.
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Another said the simulation was needed to prevent both “Taifengs”, referring to typhoons and crazy Taiwanese, which have the same pronunciations in Mandarin.
A hashtag on the drill had racked up more than 3 million views and 1,200 comments by Wednesday evening.
As the mainland’s seventh-largest provincial economy, Fujian has long been viewed as on the frontline of economic development and defence.
The Taiwan Strait is 130km at its shortest distance and the mainland city of Xiamen in Fujian is only 2km from the Taiwanese-controlled island of Quemoy, which is also known as Kinmen.
Large-scale blackouts are rare in Fujian and the coastal province was less affected by China’s energy crunch in August and September than provinces like Liaoning, Jilin and Jiangsu.
“This exercise is an all-round test of the effectiveness … and feasibility of the ‘emergency plan for large-scale power outages’ in our province,” the Fujian Daily said.
China has long regarded Taiwan as a breakaway province to be reunited, by force if necessary, and the island’s fate has been a flash point in China-US relations.
Any actions that undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will be resolutely struck back
Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, urged US politicians to stop playing the “Taiwan card” and not to play with fire.
“Any actions that undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will be resolutely struck back,” she said on Friday in a statement.
Beijing has recently stepped up pressure on pro-independence Taiwan officials and businesses.
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Meanwhile, mainland subsidiaries of Taiwan’s Far Eastern Group were fined more than 474 million yuan (US$74.3 million) for a series of violations.
More than 200 people took part in Fujian’s emergency drill, including officials from the province’s planning, emergency and energy departments. Authorities from Fuzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Ningde cities also took part.
The State Council, China’s cabinet, introduced emergency planning in 2015.
