Taiwan's All-Out Defence Mobilisation Agency has released an updated civil defence handbook that defines potential military aggression by an "enemy state" and provides self-protection tips for wartime scenarios, the Central News Agency CNA reported on September 16.

The agency under the Ministry of National Defence has released three editions of the handbook since 2022, covering information from preparation of emergency bags to survival tips during natural disasters and war.

The current version has a clearer focus on wartime scenarios compared with the previous edition released in 2023. It includes a section outlining threats related to potential military aggression, such as sabotage of underwater communications cables and live-fire drills around the country, accompanied by unilateral establishment of no-flight zones.

China has staged several large-scale military exercises around Taiwan following a visit to the country by then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August 2022, with the most recent one on April 2, codenamed "Strait Thunder-2025A".

Other manoeuvres listed in the section included arbitrary boarding and inspection of Taiwanese-registered civilian ships, unilaterally suspending traffic and commercial activities across the Taiwan Strait, sending drones into Taiwan's territorial airspace, and launching an attack followed by an armed invasion.

The handbook states that if an area comes under attack, residents should go to the nearest basement if possible. People trapped indoors should stay behind two walls and away from exterior walls, whilst people outdoors should lie prone, facing away from explosions, and protect their heads.

The new guide includes a section encouraging people to candidly discuss the threat of war with children, involve them in preparing emergency bags, teach them how to recognise disinformation, and help ease their anxiety about war.

Another update was a caution against wartime messages that the government has surrendered or that the military has been defeated, expressly stating that such information is "false".

Shen Wei-chih, head of the agency's Materials Mobilisation Division, said at a Ministry of National Defence news conference that the updated handbook was compiled under the guidance of the Presidential Office's Whole-of-Society Defence Resilience Committee to improve people's understanding of dangers and self-protection skills.