Taipei – Taiwan has begun distributing a new civil defence handbook to households across the island, as tensions with China continue to rise. Lin Fei-fan, Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council, personally handed out copies to residents on Friday, describing China as the real regional “troublemaker” and emphasizing the island’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

The handbook, first unveiled in September, provides guidance for citizens in crisis situations, including natural disasters and potential military conflicts. For the first time, it includes instructions on how to respond if encountering enemy soldiers and stresses that any claims of Taiwan’s surrender should be regarded as false.

Preparing Citizens Amid Rising Chinese Pressure

The handbook is part of Taiwan’s ongoing effort to prepare its population for emergencies as Beijing steps up military and political pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over the democratically-governed island. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry reported that China conducted another “joint combat readiness patrol” around the island on Thursday, a practice it performs multiple times each month.

Lin Fei-fan emphasized the importance of the handbook for regional stability. “The Chinese communists are the real troublemaker in geopolitics of the entire region,” he said. “What we are doing now is to ensure that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait can be continued by all means necessary and that the status quo will not be unilaterally destroyed.”

Taiwan, Japan, and U.S. Solidarity

The distribution of the handbook coincides with heightened tensions involving Japan, following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a Japanese military response. Lin highlighted that Japan has provided Taiwan’s “highest-level support” during this period.

In a show of solidarity, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te posted images on social media of himself enjoying Japanese-sourced sushi, while Raymond Greene, the de facto U.S. ambassador to Taipei, shared a post raising a glass of Japanese sake with a senior Taiwanese official, celebrating the enduring friendship between the U.S., Taiwan, and Japan.

China’s Response

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has condemned the handbook, calling it “full of lies and distortions” and an attempt to intimidate Taiwanese citizens while spreading fear of war. Despite this criticism, Taiwan continues to emphasize civil preparedness as part of its broader national security strategy.