Taiwan’s New Crisis Handbook Tells Civilians How to Respond to Chinese Attack

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Taiwan will begin distributing millions of civil defense handbooks to all households this week, offering updated instructions on how to prepare for a range of emergencies, including, for the first time, what to do in the event of a war with communist China.

Distribution across the island starts Nov. 19.

The handbook outlines examples of military threats that the Taiwanese could see, in addition to direct armed attacks. These include cyberattacks capable of paralyzing internet access and other essential communication networks, the use of drones in Taiwanese airspace, and attempts by Beijing to suspend transportation across the Taiwan Strait, the waterway separating the island from the mainland.

On what civilians should do if they spot enemy forces, the handbook advises readers to flee from any military activity as quickly as possible. It warns that hostile troops may disguise themselves as friendly forces and that ordinary citizens may struggle to tell the difference. An earlier draft of the handbook had a section on how to distinguish between Chinese and Taiwanese soldiers, but that content was removed in the final release.

The handbook also asks citizens not to take photos or videos of Taiwanese military movements or share them on social media, noting that doing so could expose friendly forces to danger. It further urges them to stay vigilant against deepfake videos, fabricated claims, and conspiracy theories spread by hostile forces and their local collaborators.

At a Nov. 17 press conference in Taipei, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan reiterated that all wartime claims of Taiwan’s surrender should be treated as fake news.

“This handbook makes it very clear to all of Taiwanese society that in the face of the threat of war, Taiwan will never surrender,” Lin told reporters. “Any messages claiming that the government has surrendered or that the country has been defeated are false.”

According to Lin, the first batch of the handbook will constitute approximately 11 million printed copies. Beginning on Nov. 19, local civil affairs offices will distribute them to more than 9.8 million households, completing the distribution by Jan. 5.

The handbook will also be incorporated into national defense education in schools and made available in libraries and district offices for free pickup. English and other language editions will be made available to foreigners living in Taiwan.

Taiwan is not the first in the world to issue such guides to the public. Sweden and Finland have long produced and updated similar defense manuals, and most recently, in August, the Czech Republic introduced a new “72 Hours” survival guide outlining how households can remain self-sufficient for at least three days during a crisis.

The distribution comes as China continues to send military aircraft and naval vessels near Taiwan on a near-daily basis. The ruling Chinese Communist Party has never ruled Taiwan, but proclaims that Taiwan is China’s renegade province and has never excluded uniting the democratic island with the authoritarian mainland by force.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment outside its regular business hours.

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