Key Points
- Taiwan mailing National Public Safety Guide to 9.83 million households starting November 20, 2025
- First-ever mass distribution of civil defense handbook to all families across island
- Distribution ordered by President Lai Ching-te on September 20, to complete by January 5, 2026
- Guide includes instructions on encountering enemy soldiers and clarifies any surrender claims as false
- Warns against Chinese apps like TikTok, WeChat, RedNote, and DeepSeek for data theft risks
- Four-phase rollout begins with offshore counties and remote mountainous areas
- 105,000 English copies to be distributed to embassies and foreign missions starting December 19
- Taiwan joins Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Lithuania in issuing civil defense manuals
- Guide covers emergency go-bags, bomb shelter locations, cyberattacks, and hybrid warfare threats
Taiwan has embarked on a historic initiative to distribute the National Public Safety Guide 2025 to every household across the island, marking an unprecedented effort to prepare its 23 million citizens for potential military conflict with China and other emergencies. The distribution campaign, which began on Wednesday, November 20, will deliver approximately 11 million handbooks to 9.83 million registered households by January 5, 2026.
This ambitious nationwide rollout represents the first time Taiwan has undertaken a comprehensive mailing campaign to ensure every family receives civil defense guidance. The initiative was personally directed by President Lai Ching-te on September 20, reflecting the government’s heightened concern about regional security and its commitment to citizen preparedness.
“This booklet shows our determination to defend ourselves,” said Lin Fei-fan, Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council, 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 people have the resolve and very clear commitment in defending ourselves”.
Phased Distribution Prioritizes Vulnerable Areas
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications, in partnership with state-run Chunghwa Post, is executing the distribution in four carefully planned phases. The rollout strategically begins with Taiwan’s most vulnerable and isolated regions, the offshore counties of Penghu, Kinmen, and Lienchiang (Matsu Islands), as well as remote and mountainous areas.
These frontline territories face particular risk due to their proximity to mainland China. Kinmen and Matsu islands lie just kilometers from the Chinese coast, making them potential flashpoints in any military scenario. By prioritizing these areas, Taiwan demonstrates its commitment to ensuring its most exposed populations receive critical survival information first.
Shen Wei-chih of the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency explained that the guides aim “to enhance society’s overall understanding of threats and bolster defense awareness, demonstrating the government’s emphasis on people’s safety and its determination to pursue self-defense”.
Taiwan Joins Global Movement in Civil Defense Preparedness
Taiwan’s initiative aligns with a broader international trend among nations facing security threats. Shen Wei-chih noted that “recently, countries including the Czech Republic, France, Sweden, Finland, and Lithuania have all released or planned new civil defense manuals or survival guides.” He emphasized that “Taiwan is keeping pace with international standards, moving in the same direction as other democratic nations”.
Finland and Sweden, both facing potential Russian aggression, have issued similar comprehensive guides to their populations. Sweden’s “If Crisis or War Comes” booklet and Finland’s preparedness materials reflect the same philosophy, that an informed and prepared citizenry represents a nation’s first line of defense.
This convergence of democratic nations preparing their populations for potential conflict underscores the challenging global security environment and the shared recognition that civilian resilience is crucial to national defense.
What Makes the 2025 Edition Different
While Taiwan first released a civil defense handbook in 2022, the 2025 edition represents a complete overhaul with significantly enhanced content. The All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency under the Ministry of National Defense has released three editions since 2022, with each iteration incorporating lessons learned and expanding guidance based on evolving threats.
The current edition features improved graphics, clearer visual instructions, and more specific situation-based guidance to make critical information accessible to all citizens regardless of education level or background. The handbook underwent a minor update since its September unveiling, adding crucial information on precautionary measures related to barrier lakes following the deadly overflow of the Matai’an Creek barrier lake in Hualien County that killed several people.
Critical New Content: Encountering Enemy Soldiers
Perhaps the most striking addition to the 2025 edition is explicit guidance on what citizens should do if they encounter enemy soldiers during an invasion scenario. This represents a sobering acknowledgment of the potential for ground combat on Taiwanese soil.
The handbook also emphasizes a crucial message: any claims that Taiwan has surrendered should be considered false information. This instruction aims to counter potential psychological warfare and disinformation campaigns that might attempt to demoralize the population by spreading false surrender announcements.
Lin Fei-fan explained that Taiwan is already facing hybrid warfare from China, “including cyberattacks, infiltration, misinformation campaigns and military incursions near the island.” He distinguished between “D-day versus everyday,” noting that while Taiwan is not currently facing actual invasion (D-day), it is experiencing constant “everyday coercion” from Beijing.
Essential Question: “What Is Your Plan If an Attack Occurs Today?”
The guide opens with a stark and urgent question designed to jolt citizens into action: “What is your plan if an attack occurs today?” This direct approach forces families to confront the possibility of conflict and begin concrete preparations rather than engaging in abstract worry.
Citizens are advised to assess their family’s specific situation, identify members who need special care, such as elderly relatives, young children, or those with medical conditions, and ensure they have adequate supplies ready. The handbook recommends maintaining at least a week’s worth of food, drinking water, essential medicines, cash, a power bank, a radio, and other critical safety equipment.
The Essential Go-Bag: Grab and Run
A central feature of the preparedness guide is the concept of the “go-bag,” an emergency kit that every family should keep packed and ready for immediate evacuation. In scenarios where staying home becomes dangerous, such as advancing military forces, building collapse, or chemical contamination, having a pre-packed bag can mean the difference between survival and disaster.
According to the guide, each family’s go-bag should contain two water bottles, readily available high-calorie food items that don’t require cooking, essential prescription medicines, all important documents and identification cards, a raincoat and warm clothing, sturdy walking shoes, a whistle for signaling rescuers, a battery-powered radio for receiving emergency broadcasts, a detailed area map, and a fully charged power bank.
The emphasis on physical maps and battery-powered radios reflects the assumption that digital infrastructure, including cellular networks and GPS services, may be disrupted or destroyed during military conflict or major disasters.
Warning: Chinese Digital Surveillance Threats
The handbook includes an explicit warning about data security risks posed by Chinese technology companies and their applications. Taiwan has specifically identified apps, including TikTok, WeChat, RedNote, and DeepSeek, as posing significant data theft risks to Taiwanese citizens.
This warning reflects Taiwan’s concern that Chinese companies may be required under Chinese law to share user data with Beijing’s security apparatus, potentially compromising the personal information, locations, and communications of Taiwanese citizens. Such data could theoretically be used for intelligence gathering, identifying key individuals, or targeting during conflict.
The guide also alerts citizens that some Chinese-manufactured camera equipment and surveillance devices may pose security risks, potentially providing Beijing with access to sensitive locations or information about Taiwan’s infrastructure and daily operations.
Comprehensive Threat Scenarios Covered
The handbook outlines numerous potential crisis scenarios Taiwan might face, ranging from natural disasters to sophisticated military operations. These include sabotage of undersea communication cables that could isolate Taiwan from the internet, large-scale cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure like power grids and water systems, drone intrusions for surveillance or attacks, inspections of Taiwanese commercial vessels by Chinese naval forces as a prelude to blockade, and ultimately full-scale military invasion.
The guide provides specific instructions for locating bomb shelters, which in many cases are simply designated basement parking garages or subway stations that offer protection from air strikes. It explains how to recognize air raid sirens and what actions to take immediately upon hearing them.
Distribution to Foreign Residents and Diplomatic Community
Recognizing that Taiwan hosts a significant international population, the government is also distributing 105,000 copies of the English-language version to embassies and foreign representative offices starting December 19. Some foreign nationals will need to collect their copies from their respective missions, while others will receive them by mail.
Chao Shih-hsuan, a deputy counselor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that some foreign representative offices and embassies have indicated they plan to send digital copies to their nationals residing in Taiwan instead of physical handbooks.
Regarding Taiwan’s more than 800,000 blue-collar foreign workers, primarily from Southeast Asian countries, Chao acknowledged that “we will need to coordinate with the relevant authorities to explore additional distribution channels beyond embassies and representative offices in Taiwan” if the government pursues broader distribution to this population in the future.
Digital Versions Available for Download
In addition to the physical copies being mailed to households, the Taiwanese government has made downloadable versions available in both Chinese and English. These digital editions can be accessed through government websites, allowing citizens to keep copies on their smartphones for immediate reference during emergencies.
The availability of digital versions ensures that even those who lose their physical copies or are away from home can access critical survival information when needed.
Context: Rising China Threat and Military Pressure
This distribution campaign comes as China continues to escalate military and political pressure on Taiwan. Beijing claims the democratically governed island as its own territory and has explicitly refused to rule out the use of force to achieve what it calls “reunification”.
Taiwan’s government firmly rejects China’s territorial claims, maintaining that only the 23 million people of Taiwan can decide their future. President Lai Ching-te has consistently stated Taiwan’s commitment to maintaining its de facto independence while avoiding actions that could be unnecessarily provocative.
The handbook, while not explicitly mentioning China by name, makes clear through the types of threats described that Beijing represents the primary security concern. The scenarios outlined, ranging from naval blockades to full-scale invasion, directly correspond to the military options China has publicly discussed for bringing Taiwan under its control.
This massive civil defense initiative sends a powerful message to Beijing that Taiwan’s population is prepared to resist any attempt at forced annexation, potentially raising the perceived costs of military action in Chinese strategic calculations.
