Chinese Military Drill Escalates Tensions, Underscoring Taiwan’s Commitment to Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience

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Podium for the press conference on Taiwan’s March 27 Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee Field Drill. (Source: Office of the President, Taiwan)

Executive Summary:

  • Taiwan is bolstering its deterrence posture through whole-of-society defense resilience drills, involving civilians in readiness activities in part to raise confidence in national defense and drawing on European and Japanese models in the process.
  • The most recent drill included 1,500 participants and tested evacuations, emergency responses, and civilian coordination at a potential invasion site in southwestern Taiwan.
  • Recommendations made following the drill include making better use of information systems, expanding volunteer training programs, pre-positioning medical supplies, and modularizing the medical system for greater flexibility.
  • Future resilience drills will test responses to communications blackouts, transportation disruptions, and large-scale cyber attacks.

On April 1, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) launched a large-scale military drill in the waters surrounding Taiwan. The drill, led by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command, also involved coordinated efforts from the army, navy, air force, and rocket force (Xinhua, April 1; China Brief, April 11). The stated objective was to deter what Beijing calls “‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces” (“台独”分裂势力) by increasing military pressure on Taiwan. The Global Times, which is published under the guidance of the Central Propaganda Department, further amplified this message on its social media platforms by posting an image of Taiwan encircled by PLA aircraft and warships, overlaid with the phrase “Closing In” (进逼)—an apparent attempt at psychological warfare aimed at instilling fear in Taiwanese society (X/Global Times, April 1).

In the face of this growing threat, Taiwan is bolstering its civil defense. On March 27, several days prior to the PLA activities, Taiwan conducted its first “Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee Field Drill” (全社會防衛韌性委員會實地演練). This large-scale civilian defense drill reinforced its commitment to Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience, following the five core pillars of Taiwan’s framework: civilian mobilization and training, strategic material stockpiling and distribution, energy resources and critical infrastructure maintenance, preparation of social welfare, medical, and shelter facilities, and cybersecurity for communication, transport, and financial networks (Office of the President, Taiwan, March 18, accessed April 28).

Local Governments Lead Unscripted Resilience Drill

The drill was officially framed as a simulated response to a disaster—in this case, a tsunami and critical infrastructure explosions (The Liberty Times, March 24). It tested Taiwan’s ability to conduct mass evacuations, execute a large-scale emergency medical response, and coordinate efforts between government agencies and civil society. The drill took place in the Xishu community of Tainan, a potential PLA landing site, suggesting its applicability to an invasion scenario. Taiwan’s military conducted similar exercises there in 2023 and 2024, which could indicate steady efforts to acclimate civilians to crisis response protocols rather than simply a preparedness exercise for natural disasters (Taiwan News, November 22, 2023).

Unlike previous versions, which often followed scripted scenarios, this drill was designed as a real-time simulation in which participants acted without a predetermined sequence of events. The drill was divided into two main zones. The first focused on the large-scale evacuation of coastal residents, involving approximately 300 civilians. The second simulated an attack on critical infrastructure, requiring emergency responders to manage mass casualties, establish temporary medical treatment facilities, and coordinate disaster relief operations.

Military personnel were not involved in the drill. Instead, local governments led civil society to prepare the response efforts, coordinating resources with neighboring municipalities and mobilizing civilian volunteers. Participants included students, senior citizens, individuals with mobility challenges, and migrant workers—groups often overlooked in conventional defense planning. Civil society organizations, such as the Tzu Chi Charity Foundation, the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, the Mustard Seed Mission, and private businesses like SHOWBA Store, played key roles in setting up shelters, distributing emergency supplies, and providing food for displaced individuals. In total, 1,500 people took part. These initiatives and active participation underscore Taiwan’s commitment to institutionalizing total defense resilience as a long-term policy (Office of the President, Taiwan, March 27).

Taiwan Learns From Partners and Plans Improved Drills

Following the conclusion of the drill, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Liu Te-chin (劉得金) delivered a summary report outlining areas for further improvement (Office of the President, Taiwan, March 27). Key recommendations included using information systems to streamline disaster response efforts, expanding volunteer training programs, pre-positioning medical supplies, and modularizing the medical system for greater flexibility. The report was broadcast live to the Taiwanese public, underscoring the government’s commitment to transparency and continuous refinement of its emergency preparedness measures.

In President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) speech, he urged all government agencies—both at the national and local levels—to continue conducting similar drills regularly. He said that future resilience drills will test responses to communications blackouts, transportation disruptions, and large-scale cyber attacks at a larger scale, and should not be confined to major cities but expanded to townships and rural communities (Office of the President, Taiwan, March 27).

Taiwan is not alone in reinforcing civil defense preparedness. The European Union recently advised its citizens to maintain a 72-hour emergency supply in case of conflict or disaster (Europe News, March 26) Taiwan’s government has cited European and Japanese models as key references for its resilience planning. Such civilian defense efforts have the added benefit of contributing to deterrence but not showing up in the defense budget, as was noted in a recent U.S. Senate hearing (Senate Foreign Relations Committee, March 26). Taipei is reinforcing a second line of deterrence by informing society and involving citizens in civil defense efforts. This complements its military readiness and enhances overall resilience in the face of external threats.

Conclusion

Strengthening civilian preparedness through resilience initiatives is key to the Lai administration’s approach to bolstering national security. Its whole-of-society defense resilience strategy prepares its citizens to withstand natural disasters and geopolitical crises. This is set to be improved through more realistic and regular civil defense work in future.

Civil defense initiatives, while crucial, remain supplementary to military deterrence. The Lai administration faces challenges in securing legislative approval for increased defense spending and, as the recent Quadrennial Defense Review makes clear, gaps remain in Taiwan’s readiness capabilities (China Brief Notes, April 28). Advances in preparing society for a potential invasion will most effectively deter Beijing from pursuing its ambitions when coupled with military measures that adequately respond to the increasing threat and coercive pressure that the PRC poses to Taiwan’s democracy.