A Chinese blockade, a devastating earthquake exploited by Beijing, cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, bank runs, civil unrest and, finally, a full-scale invasion—this was the simulated crisis confronting hundreds of Taiwanese officials during one of the island’s largest civil defence exercises this week.
More than 370 government and military officials took part in the tabletop exercise in central Taiwan, designed to test the island’s ability to respond to a series of overlapping crises. The drill forms part of President Lai Ching-te’s broader effort to strengthen Taiwan’s resilience as Beijing ramps up military pressure and hybrid warfare tactics against the self-governed island.
Reuters was granted rare exclusive access to the closed-door drill, the first such test of whether officials in Nantou, working with central government and military agencies, could keep the mountainous county functioning under attack.
Taiwan has been ramping up its so-called “resilience” exercises to prepare civilians and officials for crises ranging from natural disasters to war, moving beyond past drills often criticised as scripted, performative and of limited value.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Taiwan’s government says only the island’s people can decide their future.
On Thursday, as the drill was ending, Taiwan reported that China had carried out another “joint combat readiness patrol” around the island with warships and at least 22 military aircraft, including nuclear-capable H-6 bombers.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said Lai was “deliberately escalating” tensions.
‘Costly War’ May Not Succeed
The drill began with a seven-hour tabletop exercise before moving the next day to field drills that included shooting down a Chinese drone threatening a power plant and setting up food ration stations.
The exercise also simulated a 6.8-magnitude earthquake that killed 12 people, forcing officials to manage disaster relief alongside wartime contingencies. Large screens tracked enemy movements and emergency response in real time, highlighting closer civil-military coordination.
Officials said the drills drew lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East, including cyberattacks, underground hospital operations and backup command centres in case key facilities were hit. One scenario even envisaged a Chinese drone strike on the response centre, testing authorities’ ability to maintain continuity during an attack.
Rear Area
The exercise assigned Taiwan’s landlocked Nantou County the role of a wartime rear base, tasked with sheltering displaced civilians and supporting military operations. The drill also tested how local authorities would counter information warfare. As the scenario unfolded, Chinese disinformation and sabotage took centre stage.
At one point, local television broadcasts were hijacked and replaced with Beijing propaganda, while misinformation flyers appeared on the streets — echoing a scenario in the 2025 Taiwanese television drama “Zero Day Attack”.
(With inputs from Reuters)
