A civil defense action guide, the result of a collaboration between Taiwanese and US groups, is expected to be published in November and would be free to download online, civic group Watchout said yesterday.
Watchout last year published the first civic version of a civil defense guide, of which 10,000 volumes were sold, Hsiao Chang-chan (蕭長展), the guide’s editor-in-chief, told a news conference in Taipei.
Watchout said it was publishing a new book as China’s threat against Taiwan had not lessened, adding that the book would hopefully enable members of the public to be prepared for actual scenarios that might occur in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The publication’s content should not conflict with the official civil defense guide published by the Ministry of National Defense, the group said, adding that its version would approach the issue from the perspective of a civilian.
Watchout is also preparing a Web site that would incorporate lessons on first aid, psychological first aid and fitness training, Hsiao said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) said that from the perspective of a middle-aged woman who has never served in the military, the defense ministry’s civil defense guide is unrealistic and less approachable than the Watchout guide.
She cited a passage from the ministry’s guide, which states that it would provide the public with the telephone number of the water company in the event of a water shortage during a war.
The group’s publication could help shape policy and save the ministry’s official version, which is parochial, she said.
Concerned individuals have often asked her where they can learn to shoot and use grenades, Lin said, adding that the public should be concerned about protecting themselves and, most importantly, not becoming a problem.
The group’s publication would help people to separate false news reports from accurate information, she said.
Spirit of America Asia-Pacific regional director Joshua Brandon, who attended the event, said that he believes a solid and healthy society is the key to democracy, adding that the US is Taiwan’s best friend and partner.
Forward Alliance founder Enoch Wu (吳怡農) said that national defense knowledge and skills should be promoted online instead of being kept in the hands of a few.
As Watchout’s last guide was produced by two to three staffers, the new edition would be better, as it has more collaborators, he said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
RSS