The three-hour exercise involved dozens of central and local government agencies, as well as civil groups.

Led by Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim and National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, the simulation addressed scenarios ranging from high-intensity grey-zone warfare to situations where the island teetered on the brink of conflict.

Reuters reported:

In a media briefing at the Presidential Office late on Thursday, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang said the government is aiming to train more than 50,000 volunteers across the island by next year capable of emergency response including first aid capacity.

Liu said the government hoped to involve the public sectors such as taxi drivers and security guards to relieve burdens for government agencies during an emergency.

Various government agencies were also asked to build backup systems and make plans for speedy recovery after a shutdown, she said

President Lai Ching-te said Taiwan is "racing against time" to build up its capacity to counter disasters and boost its deterrence against an invading enemy.

"The peace and stability in the first island chain is being collectively challenged by authoritarian states," Lai was quoted as saying in a statement from his office, although he did not name any specific country.

The first island chain is a collection of archipelagos running roughly from Indonesia in an arc northeast to Japan, encompassing the South China Sea and East China Sea.

China has staged two rounds of major exercises around Taiwan this year to pressure Taipei, one in May and one in October, dubbed "Joint Sword – 2024A" and B, respectively.