By Jia Feimao | 2025-10-01

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has released an updated civil defense handbook that highlights the threat of disinformation and potential military scenarios and urges the public to remain resilient in the event of a Chinese attack.

The handbook, titled In Case of Crisis: Taiwan's National Public Safety Guide, was unveiled in mid-September and places greater emphasis on wartime contingencies than its predecessor did.

It outlines six possible Chinese military actions, adds new sections on countering disinformation and preparing children psychologically and offers instructions for disaster response, evacuation and information security.

Beijing maintains its claim over Taiwan and has not ruled out using force. In recent years, China has increased military exercises around the island, including live-fire drills and blockade simulations.

National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan, who oversaw the updated handbook, told Reuters September 12 that "China's ambitions for authoritarian expansion are being felt by countries around the world."

"The global situation -- whether in Europe or the Indo-Pacific region -- is not a distant concern. It is right at our doorstep," he said, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Preparing for crisis

The handbook cautions citizens not to believe rumors of surrender or defeat.

"We will not surrender," Lin told Reuters.

"This concept must be ingrained in everyone's mind. Once every Taiwanese recognizes this, their psychological resilience will naturally gain strength," he said.

The new handbook also specifies that Chinese coercive measures could include sabotaging critical infrastructure and undersea cables to cause internet outages dispatching warships or drones around Taiwan, unilaterally imposing no-sail zones or suspending cross-strait transportation and commerce and launching armed attacks.

The release of the handbook "is not trying to create panic, but to tell people that you need to make preparations in peacetime, so when crisis happens you won’t know what to do," said Shen Wei-chih, director of the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency, the reserve mobilization agency of Taiwan.

Preparing early will help ensure safety when a crisis occurs, he said at a news conference.

Beyond military threats, the handbook warns of cybersecurity risks linked to Chinese-made technology, such as surveillance equipment and apps including DeepSeek, WeChat, TikTok and Xiaohongshu.

"These devices could even be used by the enemy in a crisis," the handbook says of Chinese consumer electronics with camera functions.

Practical preparedness advice includes assembling go-bags tailored to family needs; storing at least one week's supply of food, water and medicine and setting a predetermined emergency meeting point.

In the event of a communications blackout, citizens are instructed to rely on radio broadcasts or obtain verified information from local police stations and district offices.

The new edition lacks its predecessor's section on identifying enemy forces

Considering civilian safety the top priority, Shen said the public should stay away from all areas of military activity and refrain from uploading images showing troop movements.

Emphasizing resilience

Compared with the handbook first issued in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the latest edition places greater focus on psychological resilience and countering information warfare.

Lai last year established the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee to demonstrate Taiwan's resolve in self-defense to the international community.

Some citizens have welcomed the revisions.

Ah-chiu, a resident in New Taipei City identified by his nickname, told Focus that the handbook "shows the government's determination to fight on," which could boost public confidence.

Jasmine, an office employee in Taipei, noted that she had never considered arranging an emergency meeting point for the family but found the new guidance practical.

A young father surnamed Ma said the section on easing children's anxiety prompted him to think about how to care for his child's mental well-being during a crisis.

The handbook is available in limited print at select supermarket outlets, while electronic Chinese and English editions can be downloaded for free from the Defense Ministry's website.