TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is set to release new air raid shelter guidelines drawing on lessons from Ukraine and Israel to improve civilian readiness for a potential Chinese military attack.

Taiwan will release the updated guidance next week, based on insights from security officials and internal planning documents seen by Reuters. A senior Taiwanese security official told Reuters, Taiwan is studying the practices in Ukraine and Israel and added, “Our people must know how to protect themselves, either at home or in office.” 

According to government planning documents, the authorities will revise guidance on how the public should respond when air raid sirens sound, including instructions for people unable to reach a shelter in time and drivers on the road. The guidelines advise that if people cannot immediately enter a shelter, they should hide behind “at least two layers of walls” and crouch down with their mouths slightly open.

Another security official said that in urban areas, many residents living in high-rise buildings are unlikely to reach designated air-raid shelters within three minutes. The official added the government is working to educate the public on alternative methods of self-protection.

The two officials also pointed out that this year’s Han Kuang 41 military exercise in July will, for the first time, run for 10 days. They will include civil defense drills across Taiwan, such as rehearsals for setting up emergency supply distribution centers.

China’s potential invasion of Taiwan has become a renewed concern following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In response, Taiwan has established air raid shelters across the country, including in metro stations and shopping centers.

In Taipei alone, there are over 4,600 air defense shelters, with a combined capacity of around 12 million people. That represents more than four times the city’s population.