Taiwan’s presidential office held a “tabletop” exercise on Thursday simulating military escalations by China, a first-of-its-kind drill involving government agencies beyond the armed forces that highlights Taipei’s urgency in ensuring preparedness against an increasingly assertive Beijing.

Taiwan's Presidential Office held its first "tabletop" exercise involving government agencies beyond the armed forces on Thursday, simulating a military escalation with China amid renewed threats from Beijing,

Taiwan’s presidential office conducted its first-ever "tabletop" exercises involving government agencies without military participation. The goal was to simulate a military escalation with China amid fresh threats from Beijing,

Taiwan aims to involve a range of people, including taxi drivers and security guards, to respond to emergencies.

The Chinese government placed sanctions on seven companies on Friday in response to recent U.S. announcements of military sales and aid to Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as part of its territory.

The sanctions freeze any assets the targeted companies may hold in China and bar Chinese entities and individuals from conducting business with them.