The race for Taoyuan mayor is heating up, with Democratic Progressive Party candidate Huang Shih-chieh accusing incumbent Mayor Chang San-cheng of avoiding policy debate — an offensive move for the challenger and a source of pressure for the incumbent.

• Huang said Chang has not responded directly to the municipal proposals he has put forward, sending only the head of the city's information department to hit back.
• Points of contention include whether TSMC will site a new plant at Taoyuan's Longtan park, and the progress of a new hospital being developed in partnership with National Tsing Hua University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and National Central University.
• Huang said the reason Taoyuan's development has stalled is that the mayor avoids the issues, adding that grassroots discontent is mounting.
• He said that in visits to grassroots communities he has sensed rising support, and that he is confident of winning in the end.

Outlook: The Taoyuan mayoral race is expected to keep heating up, with the TSMC plant and hospital construction set to be the main issues contested by the two sides.