Kuang-Cheng Hsu and Calvin Chu
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).
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