Taiwan rolls out new civil defense handbook as China threat grows

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) published a new edition of its civil defense handbook to help prepare citizens for natural disasters and a Chinese attack.

Titled "In Case of Crisis," the guide outlines response measures for a range of contingencies, from natural disasters to a potential Chinese invasion.

In the guide's preface, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) explains that Taiwan's challenges include natural disasters and epidemics, extreme weather, and the threat of aggression from China. "The guide is designed to equip everyone in Taiwan with essential safety information so that we can protect one another and safeguard our home together," Lai wrote.

China considers self-ruled Taiwan (officially the Republic of China) an inseparable part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve unification.

The MND said the purpose of the guide is to equip the public with essential safety instructions for responding to combined threats like natural disasters and military aggression. This aims to strengthen the nation's overall capacity for self-reliance and mutual assistance, while also reinforcing the public’s resolve to defend the country.

The guide is available in both Chinese and English, in digital and print formats.



Nothing new

Dr. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), Director of the Division of Defense Strategy and Resources at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR), told TCN that Taiwan had issued similar civil defense handbooks during the martial law era, so the concept of civil defense is not new to the country. However, after Taiwan democratized and the Cold War ended, Taiwan gradually became less focused on military preparedness; now it needs to be rebuilt, he added.

Taiwan's martial law period lasted from 1949 to 1987, during which the country's government imposed strict military control and restrictions on civil liberties in response to perceived threats from the Chinese Communist Party and internal political instability.

Su said nearly 70% of Taiwanese are willing to defend Taiwan, and even if it involves risking their lives, about 40% are still willing to do so. These figures are relatively high compared with other democratic nations, he added.

A public opinion survey conducted by INDSR in March 2025 found that 66% of respondents said they were willing to fight to defend Taiwan.

Chu Fu-ming (朱福銘), CEO at Kuma Academy (黑熊學院), a Taiwanese civilian defense organization, told TCN that society’s perception of "military preparedness and readiness” has changed significantly over the past three years. The public is increasingly accepting the idea that 'not preparing is the most dangerous option, said Chu.

The Kuma Academy states it aims to cultivate self-defense capabilities and foster a strong will to defend Taiwan among its citizens.

Chu added that after the defense budget reached a historic high, not only supporters of the ruling camp but also a considerable share of opposition supporters expressed approval. 

Taiwan's government recently announced a US$40 billion defense budget to bolster its military capabilities in response to growing threats from China.

Chu noted that recent polls show nearly half of the public supports the increased 2026 defense budget, significantly outnumbering those who oppose it. He added that this reflects a growing cross-party consensus on the need for higher defense spending to safeguard Taiwan.

A public opinion poll by the Taiwan Public Opinion Foundation in November found that 49.4% of respondents supported the central government’s planned 2026 defense budget, while 39.7% expressed opposition.



A niche topic

Joseph Wen (溫約瑟), co-founder of the open-source intelligence think tank Taiwan Defense Studies Initiative (TDSI), told TCN the Taiwanese society needed the handbook.

"National defense and civil defense are still niche topics in Taiwan, even though they are extremely important, and most people do not actively pay attention to them. That is also the purpose of distributing the handbook to every household: to 'force' everyone to have a copy and prompt them to consider, 'What can we do if war breaks out?'” he added.

Wen said, “Only a minority of young people in Taiwan pay attention to national defense issues. Compared with the military threat from China, livelihood issues such as high housing prices are what they feel every day and are more directly related to their immediate interests.”

He said Taiwan's education system should strengthen its understanding of the Chinese threat and place greater emphasis on the livelihood issues young people care about in domestic policymaking.

“Taiwan’s most crucial needs lie in institutional reform and improvements in execution,” he said, adding, “Raising the defense budget is important for signaling our determination to defend ourselves, but it is institutional reforms that the military truly needs.”

Public responses 

An online survey by LINE TODAY found that 39.4% of respondents believe that the guide “has no practical effect.” Meanwhile, 22.7% say it “is very helpful and provides essential information.”

Of those asked, 12.3% said the guide was of limited use and that resources should instead be directed toward more substantive measures, and 14.8% reported that they had yet to receive it.

Grassroots 

Tsai Ying-feng (蔡穎峰), the chief of Huxing Village in Taipei City, told TCN that public reactions to the guide were generally neutral. Some residents contacted the village office asking why they had not yet received the guide, he added.

Taiwan's village chiefs are elected local neighbourhood officials.

Street-level

Cheng, a senior university student, told TCN he's aware of the handbook but hasn't received it yet. Most of the university students he knows don't have strong opinions about the government’s preparedness measures, he added.

Some around him said they feel that the handbook is coming rather late, or that it seems intended to increase public anxiety, he said.

Ms. Shih, who works in Taiwan's tech industry, told TCN that by distributing the handbook, the government is showing that it is paying attention to cross-strait issues and civic preparedness.

She said she supports the government’s increased defense budget and measures such as the handbook, as she believes these actions provide citizens with greater protection.

Mr. Lin, who works in audio engineering, told TCN that he has not received the civil defense handbook and is not interested in it.

He said that, with the current economic situation, his friends are mostly focused on just getting by.

Few are concerned about “who might attack tomorrow,” because living pressures are increasing and the cost of goods continues to rise, Lin said. “Ordinary people naturally prioritize filling their stomachs and pay more attention to livelihood issues,” he added.



Room for improvement

The Kuma Academy's Chu said that the new handbook is a significant step forward, as it places disasters and war within the same crisis-management framework, emphasizing everyday preparedness, emergency response, and community mutual aid in protecting the homeland.

However, the handbook could be more inclusive, he added, highlighting comments from the Taiwan Women’s Rescue Foundation (TWRF).

TWRF noted that the handbook gave limited attention to Taiwan's approximately 1.23 million people with disabilities. The handbook lacks clear evacuation, medical, and communication guidance tailored to visually impaired, hearing impaired, intellectually disabled, mobility-impaired individuals, or those with other special needs, it added.