The government is to begin distributing millions of civil defense handbooks to households nationwide this week, in an unprecedented effort to prepare residents for potential emergencies, including the possibility of a Chinese attack.
The handbook, unveiled in September, includes for the first time instructions on what to do if encountering enemy soldiers and stresses that any claims of Taiwan's surrender should be considered false.
Photo: CNA
It also provides guidance on locating bomb shelters and preparing emergency kits.
It marks Taiwan's latest effort to prepare its population for crises ranging from natural disasters to a Chinese invasion.
"This booklet shows our determination to defend ourselves," said National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆), who oversaw the effort.
"We need people across the Taiwan Strait to understand that there will be a huge cost if China makes the wrong decision, because Taiwanese have the resolve and very clear commitment in defending ourselves and people are willing to take that action to protect each other," he said.
The distribution to more than 9.8 million mailboxes nationwide is to start this week and handbooks in English and other foreign languages would also be handed out soon, Lin said.
After the distribution, Lin said the government would help people prepare their personal emergency kits through promotional campaigns, although he did not give details.
The handbook outlines scenarios Taiwan might face, from sabotage of undersea cables and cyberattacks, to inspections of Taiwanese vessels by an "enemy nation" as a prelude to conflict, and even an all-out invasion.
Lin said Taiwan is already facing hybrid warfare by China, including cyberattacks, infiltration, misinformation campaigns and military incursions.
"It is D-day versus everyday. D-day means actually invasion. Obviously we are not in the D-day mode, but we are facing the so-called everyday coercion," he said.
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