Taiwan\u2019s presidential office held a \u201ctabletop\u201d exercise on Thursday simulating military escalations by China, a first-of-its-kind drill involving government agencies beyond the armed forces that highlights Taipei\u2019s urgency in ensuring preparedness against an increasingly assertive Beijing. <\/p>\n
The simulation involved central and local government units and civil groups, and was aimed at testing governmental responses to various scenarios if cross-strait tensions were to escalate further, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said on Thursday evening. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe conducted a tabletop exercise to verify the level of preparedness of each government agency in responding to extreme scenarios,\u201d Lai said. \u201cWe believe that as long as the government and society are prepared, we can adequately respond to different threats \u2013 including natural disasters and authoritarian expansionism.\u201d <\/p>\n
China\u2019s ruling Communist Party claims the self-governing democracy as its own territory, despite having never controlled it, and has not ruled out taking the island by force. <\/p>\n
Taiwan has seen a surge of Chinese military activities in the Taiwan Strait and the Western Pacific in recent months with more Chinese naval and coast guard vessels moving in regional waters, and increases in Chinese aircraft operating around the island. <\/p>\n
Earlier this month, China fielded its largest regional maritime deployment in decades \u2013 including multiple formations of Chinese naval and coast guard vessels \u2013 in regional waters and around the Taiwan Strait, according to Taiwan\u2019s Defense Ministry. <\/p>\n
China has also conducted two large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan this year, one in response to Lai\u2019s inauguration in May and a second to his National Day address in October. <\/p>\n
Lai \u2013 who is openly loathed by Beijing for his views championing Taiwan\u2019s sovereignty \u2013 and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party have repeatedly rejected Beijing\u2019s territorial claims, emphasizing the island democracy is \u201cnot subordinate\u201d to China and that Taiwan\u2019s future can only be decided by its 23.5 million people. <\/p>\n
Unlike traditional war games by the military, the tabletop exercise was aimed at testing how different government agencies could \u201censure the normal functioning of society\u201d in times of crisis, according to Taiwan\u2019s presidential office. <\/p>\n
It simulated two scenarios: one where China imposes \u201chigh-intensity\u201d grey-zone warfare tactics, and a second where Taiwan is \u201con the brink of conflict,\u201d the office said. Grey-zone tactics refer to actions that fall just below what might be considered acts of war. <\/p>\n
Government agencies were not allowed to prepare notes in advance and had to react immediately to different contingencies, the presidential office said, without elaborating on the exact circumstances featured in the simulation. <\/p>\n
While Taiwan\u2019s military regularly holds tabletop war games to test its defense readiness, Thursday\u2019s exercise was the first time that the presidential office has held a simulation that focuses specifically on civil responses to the threat of a Chinese invasion. <\/p>\n
The simulation was chaired by Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, presidential office secretary-general Pan Men-an, and National Security Council secretary-general Joseph Wu. <\/p>\n
Taiwan\u2019s Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang, who was among a few officials leading the exercise, said one major takeaway from the simulation was a need to enhance Taiwan\u2019s ability to combat disinformation during extraordinary times. <\/p>\n
Liu said that while Taiwan\u2019s defense ministry was well positioned to respond to different situations, many government agencies struggled to clarify falsehoods during electricity or internet outages, highlighting the need for Taiwan to have a backup mechanism to ensure the flow of information. <\/p>\n
She added that authorities have plans to recruit and train 50,000 volunteers across Taiwan to assist in disaster relief by the end of next year, which will include workers from the public sector. <\/p>\n
Lin Fei-fan, a deputy secretary-general of Taiwan\u2019s National Security Council, added that the simulation was crucial in showcasing the island democracy\u2019s determination to boost its resilience across society. <\/p>\n
\u201cConducting tabletop exercises at this time is crucial for us to strengthen preparations for the future and identify areas for improvement,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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