The "Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee" held its second meeting on Thursday at the Presidential Office. President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) announced plans to transform the existing "Wan An" and "Min An" civil-military drills into a joint "urban resilience exercises" (城鎮韌性演習) beginning in 2025. These updated drills aim to integrate disaster prevention and civil defense measures.
National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) clarified that the new exercises will combine existing drills without requiring additional resources or manpower. Conducted on a small scale, the scenarios will feature predetermined conditions, but no fixed scripts. Lin highlighted the critical need for coordination between agencies and robust recovery mechanisms, emphasizing the urgency of swift system restoration during disruptions.
A tabletop military simulation during the meeting raised concerns about potential manpower strains on police forces during disasters. Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) suggested that agencies evaluate their internal capacities and consider collaborating with civil organizations to address resource gaps.
Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) noted a shift from a "whole-of-government" approach to a "whole-of-society" strategy, incorporating civil group resources into disaster response. Liu also flagged Taiwan's vulnerability to disinformation and cognitive warfare, stressing the need for backup mechanisms to address falsehoods during power or internet outages. The Transport Ministry, Digital Ministry, and Chunghwa Telecom will be tasked with testing these mechanisms in future scenarios.