Taiwan’s New Crisis Handbook Tells Civilians How to Respond to Chinese Attack

It warns that hostile troops may disguise themselves as friendly forces, and that any claims of the government surrendering are to be regarded as fake news.

Air Force Patriot missile systems are deployed at a local park during Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercise in Taipei on July 11, 2025. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwan will begin distributing millions of civil defense handbooks to all households this week, offering updated instructions on how to prepare for a range of emergencies, including, for the first time, what to do in the event of a war with communist China.

“From natural disasters, pandemics, and extreme weather to the threat of Chinese aggression, the challenges we face have never ceased,” Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te wrote in the introduction to the handbook, “In Case of Crisis: Taiwan’s National Public Safety Guide.”