Taiwan runs massive civil defense drill simulating Chinese invasion

Taiwan conducted a large‑scale civil‑defence and resilience exercise in Nantou County, involving more than 370 civilian and military officials. The two‑day drill simulated a cascading crisis that combined a Chinese maritime blockade, cyberattacks, disinformation, infrastructure sabotage, a magnitude‑6.8 earthquake and a full‑scale invasion, testing the ability of central and local authorities to keep essential government functions running.

The exercise, overseen by President Lai Ching‑te’s administration, featured responses to disrupted communications, bank runs, civil unrest, drone attacks on critical facilities and emergency food distribution. Advanced mapping tools were used to coordinate resources in real time, and scenarios were drawn from lessons learned in Ukraine and the Middle East. China condemned the drill, accusing Taiwan of raising cross‑strait tensions. Taiwan says the drill is intended to identify operational weaknesses and improve civil‑military integration ahead of growing Chinese pressure.