The Ministry of National Defense’s All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency yesterday released its updated civil defense handbook, which defines the types of potential military aggression by an “enemy state” and self-protection tips in such scenarios.
The agency has released three editions of the handbook since 2022, covering information from the preparation of go-bags to survival tips during natural disasters and war.
Compared with the previous edition, released in 2023, the latest version has a clearer focus on wartime scenarios.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
It includes a section outlining six types of potential military threats Taiwan could face, including destruction of critical infrastructure and most undersea cables, resulting in large-scale Internet outages; a hostile nation conducting patrols around Taiwan and demanding to inspect Taiwanese vessels; a hostile nation conducting live-fire drills near Taiwan or unilaterally designating no-sail zones under the pretext of military exercises; a hostile nation’s drones appearing in Taiwanese airspace; the other side of the Taiwan Strait unilaterally announcing a halt to cross-strait transportation and commercial activities; and a hostile nation launching attacks, armed aggression or sabotage/infiltration operations.
China has staged several large-scale military exercises around Taiwan following a visit to the nation by then-US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi in August 2022, with the most recent on April 2 codenamed “Strait Thunder-2025A.”
Other maneuvers listed include 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. 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 says.
Another update is a warning 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 their 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 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, yesterday said that the updated handbook was compiled under the guidance of the Presidential Office’s Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee.
Shen said that 5,000 hard copies would be printed for distribution initially in limited numbers at selected PX Mart stores across the nation.
Downloadable Chinese and English-language (https://prepare.mnd.gov.tw/assets/pdf/manual-en.pdf) electronic versions are also available, he said.
“Why are we releasing this handbook during a time of peace? It is not to create panic, but to tell people you need to make preparations while there is peace, so when a crisis happens you know what to do,” he said. “The earlier you are prepared, the earlier you study [the booklet], the earlier you would be safe.”
Shen said the government wants people to put a copy of the handbook in grab bags containing emergency supplies stored in an easily accessible locations.
Additional reporting by Chen Yu-fu and Reuters
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