By 2025, countries like Finland, Sweden and Lithuania had published guides for its population focused on concern about a possible war with Russia. In Taiwan they have gone a little further if possible. The nation has decided to publicly assume something that until a few years ago was avoided even being mentioned: that the military threat from China is no longer a remote hypothesis, but rather a daily pressure that forces to prepare to the entire population to stages.
And they have done so without naming Beijing at any time.
A manual for an island. The guide has a “trap”, since there are scenarios that range from natural disasters to a coordinated invasion by land, sea, air and cyberspace. That said, it is the first time that the Government sends a security manual to every home in the country (23 million inhabitants), an unprecedented gesture that reveals both the seriousness of the strategic situation and the political determination to show that civil society will not be a weak link in the event of conflict.
The guide, redesigned to be understandable for any citizen, combines practical instructions, technological warnings, psychological guidelines and a central idea that structures the entire message: the defense of Taiwan depends on each person knowing what to do from the first minute of a crisis.
Prepare at home. The manual starts from a basic principle: In a real crisis, public infrastructure may be disrupted and initial survival will depend on each family’s ability to be self-sufficient for at least a week. The guide explains how to evaluate the logistical needs of the home, from dry food, water and medicines to batteries, radios, hygienic materials and basic utensils for cooking without electricity.
It is requested to maintain a “revolving stock”consuming and replenishing so that reserves are never lacking. It also introduces the need for consider vulnerable people (seniors, babies, dependents) and to always have chargers, cash, copies of documents and alternative means of communication in case the internet or mobile phones are sabotaged.
Emergency luggage. The heart of the manual is the go-bag preparationa kit that should be able to be picked up and carried in seconds if the situation forces you to leave home. It includes water, ready-to-eat food, basic first aid kit, clothing for rain and cold, flashlight, radio, chargers, documents, simple tools and paper maps.
This section insists that the population must internalize the logic of immediate mobilityunderstanding that in the first moments of a crisis, speed can be the difference between being trapped or reaching a safe point.
Threat scenarios. One of the most striking new features is the explicit enumeration of hostile scenariosall of them based on patterns already observed in Chinese military exercises or on forms of coercion that Taipei identifies as part of a sustained hybrid war. They include the cable sabotage submarines, maritime blockades disguised as inspections, the creation of false no-fly zones, intrusive drones over Taiwanese space, disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and the possibility that enemy forces try to infiltrate or simulate identities to confuse the population.
The manual warns that, in such an environment, distinguish allies and enemies can be difficult, so the rule is simple: stay away from any detected military activity and do not broadcast images that could reveal Taiwanese defensive movements.
Taiwanese army training
How to act during bombings. The document also pragmatically details how survive an air raid If there is no time to reach underground shelter: move away from windows and walls, lie down on the ground, cover your head and open your mouth slightly to cushion the impact of the shock wave.
For those who are on the street, we insist on adopting a protective position and facing the opposite direction to the explosion. The manual, in addition, updates evacuation routeshelp points and location of shelters, and highlights the importance of establishing three previously agreed upon family meeting places to avoid the fragmentation of groups in the midst of chaos.
The psychological dimension. Another essential part is emotional management. It is encouraged to reduce exposure to irrelevant news to avoid saturation, to maintain rest and eating routines, and to talk openly about fear as a way to prevent it from growing uncontrollably.
In the case of children, the guide recommends including them in the preparation of go-bags, explain to them what is happening with appropriate language and teach them to identify fake news, a threat that Taiwan suffers every day as part of the information harassment from abroad.
Cybersecurity and technology. The manual dedicates an entire section to warning about the risks of using applications and technological devices linked to Chinese companies. The guide points out platforms such as TikTok, WeChat, RedNote or AI tools such as DeepSeek, and remembers that certain devices with cameras can be vectors for data collection.
The instruction is clear: reduce its use, deactivate sensitive functions and be wary of any anomalous behavior in electronic equipment.
Civic offensive. If you also want, the most relevant thing about this massive deployment is not only its content, but its strategic significance: Taiwan wants to show Beijing that its society is not passive or fragile, that it knows what to do and that the human, social and political cost of an invasion would not be low.
The campaign, which will distribute more than 11 million of copies, seeks to reinforce the idea that the defense of the island does not depend solely on its army, but also on a prepared, conscious and coordinated civil fabric. The political message is explicit: the Taiwanese resistance does not expect a “D-Day”, possibly because it already lives under daily threat, but is willing to assume the consequences of defending itself if that day arrives.
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