Don't panic, but don't relax' Taipei steps up preparations for potential Chinese invasion

If war comes to Taiwan, its citizens might be sent to their nearest 7-Eleven.

- Helen Davidson

If war comes to Taiwan, its citizens might be sent to their nearest 7-Eleven. No one knows for sure what a Chinese attack would look like, but there are some assumptions made by government planners. They expect Taiwan's military and maybe police will be sent to the frontlines, leaving civilian first responders in charge of care and control.

Outside assistance would almost certainly be cut off by a blockade. Domestic rail lines might be taken out and airspaces closed to commercial traffic. The internet and phone signal would probably be cut off.

If all this happened, residents could walk to one of the island's more than 13,000 convenience stores to pick up rations and medical supplies, delivered by the retailers' own logistical systems, according to four people familiar with the discussions.

They could read government communications that have been faxed to the stores and displayed on the windows. Or maybe they would be able to send a message using the store's emergency wifi hotspot.

Convenience stores worked with Taiwan's government during the pandemic to ration out masks during early shortages. Turning them into a wartime community hub would need a lot more preparation, but that is being discussed by a committee created by Taiwan's president, Lai Ching-te, to help make people more resilient in the event of an attack or disaster.

This is among a number of scenarios being considered by a team of 27 senior cabinet and national security ministers, NGOs and figures from the business, social and religious sectors.

The "whole of society defence resilience committee" is charged with preparing for war or disaster.