TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council (國安會), Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆), delivered a pointed warning on Thursday (July 18) about the potential weaponization of unity rhetoric against Taiwan's population. The high-ranking security official emphasized that anti-aggression and anti-annexation principles must form the foundation of national unity discourse. Lin's comments emerged during Taipei's 2025 Urban Resilience Exercise (城鎮韌性演習), a large-scale civilian defense drill designed to simulate Taiwan's comprehensive response to potential military aggression from China.
The high-profile civilian defense drill featured prominent participation from Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), who emphasized familial solidarity as the foundation of national unity. The mayor declared that "unity comes from being one family; the guns will never be pointed inward." Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) expanded on this theme by insisting that genuine unity requires substantive shared beliefs rather than empty rhetorical appeals. Security official Lin elaborated on the exercise's strategic purpose, explaining that these simulations aim to strengthen Taiwan's comprehensive response capabilities against potential military incursions while preserving democratic values.
The national security official drew a clear distinction between Taiwan's annual Han Kuang Exercise (漢光演習), the island's largest military drill that evaluates combat readiness, and the civilian-focused Urban Resilience Exercise, which prepares critical non-military infrastructure and government functions to maintain operations during potential conflicts. Lin emphasized that Taiwan's democratic achievements, which ended decades of authoritarian rule, must be safeguarded through unified resistance against external threats of communist ideology and territorial annexation. The security official's comments reflect growing concerns about Taiwan's preparedness for potential cross-strait military confrontation. ◼