Citizenry's Contribution to National Defense
Taiwan's National Civil Resilience Plan: A Comprehensive Approach to Enhancing National Security
Taiwan is taking proactive steps to strengthen its national security with the implementation of the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience, a national civil resilience plan designed to address potential threats, particularly in the context of escalating tensions with China.
The plan emphasizes national unity, civilian involvement, and government-private sector cooperation to enhance preparedness against military aggression, natural disasters, cyber attacks, and information warfare.
Key implementation measures include emergency food security, civilian training and participation, infrastructure and urban preparedness, military-civil cooperation, and a broad defense strategy.
Taiwan has secured rice stocks sufficient for 7 months of its 23.4 million population and established plans for rationing, expanding agriculture, and aquaculture in case of blockades by China. Civilians aged 18-65 are encouraged to receive training in emergency medicine, cyber hygiene, crisis coordination, and information warfare. Local governments run regular drills to test urban resilience, involving fire services, schools, and NGOs.
Major cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung are enhancing wartime coordination centers with EMP-resistant systems and backup communications. In July 2025, Taiwan introduced National Solidarity Month, combining military exercises (Han Kuang) with new urban resilience drills to test the readiness of agencies and citizens. The defense budget aims to reach over 3% of GDP, reinforcing both military capabilities and economic resilience.
However, political opposition domestically has complicated some resilience-building efforts. Debates about national defense have focused too much on weapons and procurement, neglecting the importance of resilience. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has accused opposition parties of undermining resilience measures, and despite recall attempts against opposition legislators, political friction may hinder full implementation.
Survival in such a scenario depends on access to food, clean water, and medical supplies. A national civil resilience plan aims to unite existing disaster response teams, fuel reserves, and volunteer networks into a coherent whole. The plan also emphasizes public participation, with clear guidance on how to prepare for a crisis and stay informed.
China's potential strategies for disrupting Taiwan include a blockade, cyberattacks, and slow encirclement. A national civil resilience plan would make "peace through strength" more than a concept or slogan, showing how it works in practice. The Lai administration is called to turn this creed into a tangible national civil resilience plan.
Support for the civil resilience plan by the opposition would strengthen Taiwan. Opposition to the resilience plan could be seen as endangering lives and weakening Taiwan's defenses. The current government has lost the confidence of half the people it claims to lead, with President William Lai's disapproval rating over 50%. The opposition blocking a civil resilience plan would expose them as obstructionists.
Retired businessman John Cheng, a resident of Taiwan from Hong Kong, emphasizes the importance of preparedness and unity in Taiwan's current situation. Taiwan should have been prepared yesterday, but there is still a chance for preparation today if the Lai administration acts promptly. The Lai administration is urged to unveil the comprehensive resilience plan immediately, not at a later time.
[1] Taiwan News, "Taiwan's Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Plan: A Comprehensive Approach to Enhancing National Security," https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4073419
[2] South China Morning Post, "Taiwan's civil defence plan: How the island is preparing for war with China," https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3125263/taiwans-civil-defence-plan-how-island-preparing-war-china
[4] Nikkei Asia, "Taiwan's military-civilian drills test readiness for conflict," https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Taiwans-military-civilian-drills-test-readiness-for-conflict
[5] Reuters, "Taiwan's Lai administration faces opposition over civil defense plan," https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwans-lai-administration-faces-opposition-over-civil-defense-plan-2021-08-27/
- The Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience, a comprehensive approach to enhancing Taiwan's national security, addresses not only military aggression but also politics, war-and-conflicts, and general news through its focus on national unity, civilian involvement, and government-private sector cooperation.
- The national civil resilience plan in Taiwan includes measures addressing food security, emergency training, urban preparedness, military-civil cooperation, and a broad defense strategy, all of which serve as crucial aspects in the context of escalating tensions, particularly in light of China's potential strategies for disrupting Taiwan, such as blockades or cyberattacks.
