DEFENSE/Tainan to hold civil defense drill in late March

Taipei, March 5 (CNA) The government is planning to hold a small-scale exercise in Tainan on March 27 to assess Taiwan's civil defense and disaster prevention preparedness, according to a national security official.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the planned exercise will be aimed at examining civilians' ability to find air raid shelters and other cover in times of emergency.

The planned exercise will also involve familiarizing people with government policies on civil defense and helping the public prepare emergency kits and other tools, the official said, without providing further details.

According to the official, the planned exercise is aimed at equipping people with the ability to respond to high-intensity conflicts, natural disasters and other pressing scenarios.

It will build on last year's unscripted tabletop exercises at the Presidential Office, in which officials and experts simulated responses to "gray-zone operations" -- coercive actions shy of armed conflict -- and emergencies in which Taiwan is on "the verge of conflict" with China.

Such efforts were launched under the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee, an advisory group established by the Presidential Office.

The committee has pledged to enhance Taiwan's resilience by training civilian forces, securing strategic and critical supplies, reinforcing energy and key infrastructure, and ensuring the continued operations of medical, transportation, information and financial facilities.

The official said that following the Tainan drill, the government would proceed with Urban Resilience Exercises from April to July, which combine the Wan An air raid drills and Min An disaster response drills.

The series of exercises will culminate in the military's annual Han Kuang drills, the official said.