The Ministry of National Defense has released a civil defense handbook aimed at informing Taiwanese how to seek refuge in major nationwide emergencies, including a military conflict, to be better prepared for various contingencies.
The 28-page Chinese-language handbook contains QR codes for users to scan to access directions for where to go and what to do in a major emergency, All-out Defense Mobilization Agency Director Liu Tai-yi (劉泰益) said at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
The pamphlet outlines safety measures for civilians during an air raid, major fire, building collapse, major power outage, water shortage or shortage of essential goods, explains basic survival skills and offers an emergency hotline people can call, Liu said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Defense via CNA
It also has a section on combat preparedness and wartime reserve force mobilization that provides a general guide on where reservists would have to report should a war break out, he said.
The ministry said that it has been working on the project since last year, and took into consideration information from similar handbooks issued by the Swedish and Japanese governments, as well as inputs from local governments, academics and experts.
The handbook is being issued amid concerns over China’s intentions toward Taiwan and the possibility that it could launch a cross-strait conflict.
It is available to download at https://www.mnd.gov.tw/Publish.aspx?title=國防消息&p= 79745&SelectStyle=公告專區.
In related news, the ministry early yesterday morning held an air defense drill to test the readiness of the military against an aerial attack.
The exercise, which ran from 5am to 7am, was conducted primarily to test the defensive capabilities and combat readiness of operational ground troops, the ministry said, without further elaboration.
Tthe aircraft used in the simulated air attack included F-16s, Indigenous Defense Fighters and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, said a military official who asked not to be named.
The aircraft flew sorties over areas around Taipei without prior warning to verify the responsiveness of the nation’s air defense forces, the official said, and the drill was held early in the morning to avoid interfering with civilian aircraft.
It was an important test of the readiness of the military in the event of an aerial attack from China, the official added.
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