Taipei: Taiwanese supermarket chain PX Mart will be part of Taiwan's resilience exercises in July, and the results will determine if markets and convenience stores will be part of Taiwan's future resilience tests, Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang said Thursday. "Such exercises, should we have actual needs in the future, will be expanded to other civilian retail locations," Liu mentioned.
According to Focus Taiwan, Taiwan's first "Urban Resilience Exercises" will be held in July to coincide with its Han Kuang military exercises. The aim is to strengthen Taiwan's whole-of-society defense resilience through "civilian-military cooperation," President Lai Ching-te announced on Thursday. The drills are scheduled for July 15-17 in Taichung, Tainan, and Taipei and will include setting up key infrastructure sites for practical drills, ration distribution points, first aid stations, and relief centers in surrounding administrative areas.
President Lai made these announcements during a meeting of the Presidential Office's Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee. After the meeting, Interior Minister Liu, who serves as the committee's secretary, revealed that PX Mart would participate in the drills to encourage local retail businesses to get involved. Liu added that the committee has been mobilizing the nation's state-owned businesses as sales locations for emergency items since its establishment by the Presidential Office after Lai took office in May 2024.
The inclusion of PX Mart and potentially other civilian retail locations in these exercises highlights Taiwan's commitment to integrating civilian infrastructure into its defense strategy, ensuring that the nation is better prepared for any potential emergencies in the future.