Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen publicly campaigned for Nantou County Magistrate Hsu Shu-hua at an agricultural product exhibition and sales event in Nantou, turning an agriculture event into an election occasion — a negative for the organiser's image.

• Lu called Hsu "a future political star of the nation" and presented her with a "rising ever higher" potted plant, wishing her a strong margin of victory in her re-election bid.
• With only three months to go before the local elections, the gesture instantly turned the agricultural products fair into a campaign rally.
• Nantou County Councillor Shen Su-cheng of the Democratic Progressive Party criticised the move as going too far, saying verbal good wishes are only human, but presenting a potted plant left members of the public at the venue feeling it was out of place.
• Shen also called on the county government to pay attention to procedure at future events, and to put the focus back on opening up export markets and expanding sales of Taiwanese agricultural produce.

Outlook: With the election entering its final stretch, senior Blue-camp figures are expected to appear at each other's events more frequently, and disputes over the line between public events and campaign occasions are likely to recur.