Taiwan Releases New Civil Defense Handbook Amid China’s Military Threat

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TAIPEI, Taiwan—The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense has issued an updated version of its civil defense handbook, educating citizens on new security guidelines in the event of natural disasters, epidemics, and military aggression from China.

“Whether it be natural disasters, epidemics, extreme weather, or the threat of Chinese invasion, the challenges we face have never ceased,” the handbook says.

According to Taiwan’s national news agency, the Central News Agency, the ministry released the handbook on the All-out Defense Mobilization Agency’s website on Sept. 13, and it will hold a press conference on Sept. 16 to introduce it to the public.

A significant portion of the handbook is devoted to informing citizens on what to do when China’s military aggression becomes a reality.

“In the event of a military invasion of Taiwan, any claim that the government has surrendered or that the nation has been defeated is false,” the handbook reads.

The handbook says that “hostile foreign forces” may use fake accounts and local collaborators to distribute disinformation, distort narratives, and spread conspiracy theories in order to weaken the Taiwanese people’s resolve to defend themselves, during peacetime or in times of crisis.

It warns that some Chinese-branded devices equipped with cameras—such as surveillance cameras and image sensors—being used in Taiwan could become tools of the enemy during the crisis.

The handbook provides a list of military scenarios that Taiwan may face, saying that an “enemy nation” could sabotage the island’s critical infrastructure and undersea cables, demand to board Taiwanese vessels for inspections, set up no-fly zones near the island in the name of military exercises, fly unmanned aerial aircraft over the island’s airspace, end cross-strait transportation and commerce, and conduct an all-out invasion.

When an air raid alert sounds, people should take shelter in the basement or move to bomb shelters, according to the handbook.

If a war breaks out, and a suspected enemy presence is spotted, people are advised to leave the area immediately or take cover in a safe location away from windows, the handbook says. People should refrain from taking photos or videos and from uploading information about Taiwanese military operations, as both actions could put Taiwanese soldiers at risk, it adds.

The handbook also encourages parents to discuss potential military aggression with their children and prepare survival kits with them.

The book has a bright orange cover with illustrated cartoon faces of people from different age groups and professions, as well as drawings of emergency-related items, including batteries, a radio, a backpack, and a flashlight.

“Freedom and democracy do not come by chance—they were earned through the sacrifice and struggles of countless Taiwanese people. That is why we will not bow to aggression. With heads held high, we will defend our hard-earned lives we now lead,” the handbook reads.

China’s communist regime considers Taiwan a part of its territory even though it has never governed the island. Taiwan, a de facto independent nation, has relied on the United States as its main weapons supplier to boost its self-defense.

Shen Wei-chih, director of the All-out Defense Mobilization Agency, told the Central News Agency in an interview published on Sept. 12 that the handbook had two earlier versions, published in 2022 and 2023.

As for the timing of the new handbook, Shen pointed out that France, Finland, Sweden, and Lithuania have published similar defense handbooks, all intended to prepare their citizens for possible crises. As a result, Taiwan decided to follow suit, Shen said.

In the face of expanding authoritarianism, democratic countries are building their societal resilience, and Taiwan is doing the same, Shen added.