Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te held a campaign rally in Taichung for Ho Hsin-chun, the Democratic Progressive Party's candidate for Taichung mayor, while taking veiled aim at the opposing camp's nominees — negative news for the KMT-TPP camp.

• Lai said that some of the candidates nominated by certain parties "have backing," and that once they enter the Legislative Yuan or become mayors and county magistrates, they will not act in the country's interest.
• He gave his backing to Ho Hsin-chun, saying she has identified Taichung's problems and put forward policy proposals to address them, and that she performed excellently in the Legislative Yuan.
• He listed the administration's record: economic growth, a record-high central government budget for next year, and Taiwan's rise to fourth in the world in international competitiveness rankings.
• The government plans to distribute NT$10,000 per person as an "AI dividend," and to continue raising the minimum wage, increasing pay for military personnel, civil servants and teachers, cutting taxes, and expanding childcare and long-term care benefits.

Outlook: The Taichung mayoral race has begun early, and the back-and-forth between the blue and green camps over the backgrounds of nominated candidates is expected to keep intensifying.