Foreign diplomats in Taiwan were invited Thursday to visit an anti-terrorism training center affiliated with the National Police Agency (NPA), in Taoyuan, where they had an opportunity to watch a drill, the NPA said.

At the invitation of the Ministry of the Interior, the 43 envoys from 31 countries visited the NPA’s anti-terrorism training center in the city’s Xinwu District to gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s counter-terrorism tactics and its ability to deal with major public security issues, the NPA said in a statement.

During the visit, the diplomats were able to observe a drill that simulated a crackdown on an underground explosives factory and a hostage rescue, which was a demonstration of the NPA’s anti-terrorism tactics and capabilities, according to the statement.

The participants in the drill were special teams from the NPA and police departments in Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung and Taoyuan, as well as members of the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Aviation Police Bureau, the NPA said.

During the diplomats’ visit to the training center, they were also shown a range of sophisticated equipment and had an opportunity to don some police gear and try some of the equipment, the NPA said.

Spread over 29 hectares, the center includes training facilities for hostage rescue drills, anti-terrorism combat exercises, indoor simulations, and anti-hijacking drills, Deputy Interior Minister Chen Tsung-yen (???) said in an address to the diplomats.

The center is used not only by the NPA’s special service teams but also by special service teams from other government agencies for joint training, Chen said.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel