Kathrine Frich
Taiwan is preparing to place millions of civil defence handbooks into homes across the island as tensions with Beijing continue to rise.
Officials say the booklet is designed to help people respond to a range of emergencies, including the threat of a military attack.
It marks one of the most extensive public preparedness efforts undertaken in recent years.
Growing pressure
The handbook was first unveiled in September and lays out instructions for situations Taiwan fears may become reality. Residents are told what to do if they encounter enemy soldiers and are urged to treat any claims of surrender as false.
Reuters reports that the handbook also offers guidance on locating bomb shelters and assembling emergency kits.
The initiative is part of a broader campaign to prepare civilians for natural disasters and the possibility of conflict.
The rollout comes as China increases military and political pressure to reinforce its sovereignty claims over the self-governed island.
Call for resilience
Lin Fei-fan, Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council, oversaw the project. He said: “This booklet shows our determination to defend ourselves.”
He added that the message should be clear across the region. In his words:
“We need people across the Taiwan Strait to understand that there will be a huge cost if China makes the wrong decision because Taiwanese people have the resolve and very clear commitment in defending ourselves and people are willing to take that action to protect each other.”
Distribution is expected to reach more than 9.8 million households.
Lin said versions in English and other languages will be available for non-Mandarin speakers.
Advice for crisis moments
According to reporters, the handbook outlines scenarios Taiwan could face in the early stages of conflict.
These range from undersea cable sabotage and cyber attacks to the inspection of local vessels by an “enemy nation” and the threat of a full invasion.
Citizens are advised to remain calm, secure basic supplies and seek refuge with family or friends if hostilities escalate.
The guidance warns against using Chinese apps such as WeChat and TikTok, citing misinformation risks.
It further notes that some Chinese-made devices may contain surveillance functions.
Everyday warnings
Lin said Taiwan already experiences a form of hybrid warfare, including cyber attacks, infiltration attempts and routine military activity around its airspace.
He described the situation as “D-day versus everyday,” adding: “D-day means actually invasion. Obviously we are not in the D-day mode. But we are facing the so-called everyday coercion.”
The warnings come only weeks after China commissioned its most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, into service.
China continues to insist that Taiwan is its territory, while Taipei maintains that only its people can decide their future.
Defensive strategy
Taiwan’s armed forces have been working to strengthen what they call asymmetric defence, also known as the Porcupine Strategy.
This approach focuses on making any attempted invasion so costly that it becomes unattractive for Beijing.
Officials say the goal is not to defeat China in conventional terms but to make an attack prohibitively difficult.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately comment on the handbook.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
