Taiwan will begin distributing millions of civil defence handbooks to households across the island this week, in an unprecedented effort to prepare residents for potential emergencies, including the possibility of a Chinese attack.

The opinion poll comes at a time when diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have intensified following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks over Taiwan.

China has built 350 new missile silos and expanded nuclear warheads by 20% in one year, reaching "war footing," according to new congressional report on military buildup.