Taiwan's updated civil defense guide focuses on wartime scenarios

Taipei, Sept. 16 (CNA) The All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency on Tuesday officially released its updated civil defense handbook, which defines the types of potential military aggression by an "enemy state" and self-protection tips in such a scenario.

The agency under the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has released three editions of the handbook since 2022, covering information from preparation of go-bags to survival tips during natural disasters and war.

Compared with the previous edition, released in 2023, the current version has a clearer focus on wartime scenarios.

It includes a section outlining up-to-date threats related to potential military aggression, such as the sabotage of underwater communications cables and live-fire drills around the country, accompanied by unilateral establishment of no-flight zones.

China has staged several large-scale military exercises around Taiwan following a visit to the country by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August 2022, with the most recent one on April 2, codenamed "Strait Thunder-2025A."

Other maneuvers listed in the section included arbitrary boarding and inspection of Taiwanese-registered civilian ships, unilaterally suspending traffic and commercial activities across the Taiwan Strait, sending drones into Taiwan's territorial airspace, and launching an attack followed by an armed invasion.

In another section, the handbook states that if an area comes under attack, residents should go to the nearest basement if possible. People trapped indoors should stay behind two walls and away from exterior walls, while people outdoors should lie prone, facing away from explosions, and protect their heads.

If people come across apparent members of enemy forces, they should quickly leave the area or take shelter, it added.

Another update was to a caution against wartime messages that the government has surrendered or that the military has been defeated, expressly stating that such information is "false."

The new guide also includes a section encouraging people to candidly discuss the threat of war with children, involve them in preparing go-bags, teach them how to recognize disinformation, and help ease their anxiety about war.

The guide further features a chapter with information on how to volunteer, become a certified disaster prevention specialist, or enlist in the armed forces.

Shen Wei-chih (沈威志), head of the agency's Materials Mobilization Division, said at an MND news conference that the updated handbook was compiled under the guidance of the Presidential Office's Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee to improve people's understanding of dangers and self-protection skills.

Physical copies of the handbook will be distributed in limited numbers at selected PX Mart stores across the country.

Downloadable Chinese- and English-language (https://prepare.mnd.gov.tw/assets/pdf/manual-en.pdf) electronic versions are also available, he said.