Taiwan prepares for Chinese invasion, to tell citizens what to do if they see enemy soldiers

Taiwan is preparing for a war that its leadership sees as imminent. The country has updated its civil defence handbook that carries instructions for people about what to do when they see an enemy.

As the island nation feels the pressure from China’s belligerent moves, Taipei is preparing its people for potential emergencies. Beijing considers Taiwan as its own territory and has been making strategic military moves to take over its governance.

Lin Fei-fan, Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council, who oversaw the updated handbook, said Taipei has taken inspiration from survival guides planned by fellow democracies, including the Czech Republic and France.

What does the book have?

The handbook, a bright orange coloured copy, is suitable for all ages and features animated characters to represent Taiwan’s population on the cover and across its 29 pages. It tells Taiwanese people to “protect each other and safeguard our beloved home,” according to Reuters.

“Whether it be natural disasters, epidemics, extreme weather, or the threat of Chinese invasion, the challenges we face have never ceased,” the handbook says, offering guidance on how to find bomb shelters via smartphone apps and tips for preparing emergency kits for family members, including pets.

“China’s ambitions for authoritarian expansion are being felt by countries around the world,” Lin said, adding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also lent new urgency.

“The global situation - whether in Europe or the Indo-Pacific region - is not a distant concern. It is right at our doorstep.”

The handbook was first published in 2022, while its updated version contains information about possible scenarios in the face of a war with China, like sabotage of undersea cables and cyber attacks and inspections of Taiwanese vessels by an “enemy nation” as a prelude to conflict, to an all-out invasion.

The handbook also pointed to potential security risks from China-made tech devices such as cameras and applications, including China’s DeepSeek AI and social media platforms WeChat and TikTok.

How is Taiwan preparing militarily?

In July, Taiwan launched its annual 10-day-long military exercise. The drills were intended to guard against Beijing’s expansionist behaviour.

This year’s 10-day live-fire Han Kuang drills were the longest yet and followed the delivery of a range of new weaponry from tanks to waterborne drones. The drills in Taiwan come as regional tensions and harassment by China and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are increasing.

As Taiwan conducted its longest-ever drills, its actions come as Taipei learns its lessons from Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia for more than three years.

Taiwan is systematically incorporating key lessons from Ukraine’s defence, such as decentralised command, civil preparedness, and countering hybrid warfare, into its largest-ever military drills.

With inputs from agencies