On September 20, 2025, President of the Republic of China, Tsai Ing-wen, emphasized at the National Resilience Forum that to avoid war and maintain peace, continuous preparedness and strengthening defense capabilities and social resilience are essential.
President Tsai Ing-wen attended the opening ceremony of the “Presidential Office National Resilience Forum – Resilient Taiwan, Sustainable Democracy,” where he warmly welcomed distinguished guests from both domestic and international communities to participate in the forum. He highlighted that this occasion not only marked the one-year anniversary of the establishment of the “National Resilience Committee,” but also served as a platform for Taiwan to connect with the world and demonstrate its commitment to self-defense.
President Tsai mentioned that in the current international context, Taiwan and the world are facing two major challenges simultaneously. On one hand, extreme weather events have posed severe challenges globally, testing infrastructure, affecting food security, and public health, resulting in significant pressure on economies and public health systems. It is clear to all that resilience is not just a matter of defense and security but also the foundation of people’s livelihoods and social stability.
Regarding the other challenge, President Tsai pointed out the authoritarian regime of China strengthening alliances amongst themselves to infiltrate and undermine democratic societies. Through military aggression, hybrid warfare tactics, they aim to weaken confidence, sow division within society, test international boundaries, and gradually alter regional dynamics and international order.
President Tsai emphasized the importance of taking proactive actions and accelerating preparedness rather than waiting, as time is of the essence. He outlined the three key strengthening directions established during the first “National Resilience Committee” meeting at the Presidential Office on September 26 last year: “Being vigilant, staying prepared,” “Strengthening response capabilities, fear nothing,” and “Step by step, methodically,” while establishing five main areas of focus, ranging from civilian training, resource management, energy security, medical shelters, to information and financial protection.
President Tsai highlighted that the past year has seen these strategies being implemented from tabletop exercises to field drills, with the active participation of central ministries, local governments, and civil society. He added that the government has integrated disaster prevention with defense by concurrently organizing “Urban Resilience Exercises” in various counties during the annual Han Kuang military drills to enhance the synergy between military defense operations and local evacuation, medical care, and resource management efforts, strengthening military-civilian integration.
Furthermore, the President officially named the month of the annual Han Kuang military drills and Urban Resilience Exercises as “National Unity Month,” aiming to make national resilience-building an inclusive endeavor open to all Taiwanese citizens, irrespective of their military, civilian, or professional backgrounds, gender, or age.
Tsai expressed confidence that as unity grows stronger, the nation becomes more resilient, which in turn can deter potential crises more effectively. He stressed that peace cannot solely rely on the goodwill of aggressors; therefore, to avoid war and safeguard peace, continuous preparedness is crucial to fortify defense capabilities and societal resilience.
President Tsai reiterated that the ultimate goal is “peace through strength, and strength through resilience.” He observed not only the government but also numerous private enterprises, volunteer organizations, religious groups, and civil defense NGOs actively engaging in resilience-building efforts, training, and exercises, aligning with the national determination to defend democratic values.
President Tsai announced plans to continue enhancing Taiwan’s defense capabilities by progressively increasing the defense budget towards NATO standards, aiming to reach 3.32% of GDP next year with a target of 5% by 2030. Additionally, a budget of NT$150 billion (approximately 50.47 billion US dollars) has been allocated to enhance national resilience for homeland security, focusing on enhancing stockpile quality and quantity, improving information security, deploying and countering unmanned aerial vehicles, establishing disaster response centers and warehouses, as well as reinforcing underground shelters, pending legislative approval for implementation.
As Taiwan actively responds to challenges posed by authoritarian nations challenging global order, President Tsai emphasized that international communities worldwide are also intensifying preparations. Noting that multiple European countries are ramping up defense budgets, upgrading defense and civil defense infrastructure, enhancing communication resilience, and protecting critical infrastructure.
Furthermore, he mentioned that several nations have issued disaster prevention, evacuation, civil defense, and survival guidelines to their citizens. Reflecting this, Taiwan has recently released the updated “Taiwanese National Safety Guide” amid the National Disaster Prevention Day exercises, aiming to provide comprehensive safety guidelines to the public. President Tsai assured that efforts are being made to ensure every household receives these safety guidelines in the future.
The National Defense Ministry has published the “Taiwan National Safety Guide: Handling Crisis,” aiming to equip all citizens with essential evacuation and preparation instructions, crisis response strategies, and cater to diverse community needs. The guide emphasizes that in the event of military aggression, any news of national defeat or government surrender is false.
As the Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of China Armed Forces, President Tsai reiterated Taiwan’s unwavering commitment to defending freedom, democracy, and sustaining the nation’s independence. In a time of challenges, the strength lies in unity, with international cooperation with like-minded nations playing a crucial role. President Tsai expressed gratitude to international teams who participated in the joint exercises on National Disaster Prevention Day and the experts and scholars contributing to the forum discussions.
He acknowledged the invaluable knowledge and experiences shared by international experts from various organizations, such as the German Federal Technical Relief Agency, Finland’s Emergency Supply Agency, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Israel’s Red Shield Society, the UK’s Space Agency, Australia’s Strategic Studies Institute, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, on topics ranging from medical care, communication, energy, to financial network security, expanding the horizons of resilience governance and societal defense.
In conclusion, drawing from the recently published “Taiwan National Safety Guide,” President Tsai shared a poignant passage as a final reflection, stressing that freedom and democracy have been hard-won through the sacrifices and efforts of countless Taiwanese people. Therefore, refusing to bow down to aggressors, Taiwan will continue to stand strong, united, and boldly on the world stage, ensuring the perpetuation of the Republic of China, Taiwan.