The race for Chiayi City mayor has begun early, with the KMT-TPP alliance rallying support for Taiwan People's Party candidate Chang Chi-kai, while the DPP camp is playing up its ability to deliver central government resources.

• Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an travelled south to Chiayi, accompanied by incumbent Mayor Huang Min-hui, and described Chang Chi-kai as "the best person to take up the baton."
• The two canvassed together for votes in the Wenhua Road and Zhongzheng Road shopping districts, amounting to the KMT publicly throwing its weight behind a TPP candidate.
• In Chiayi County, the KMT has stood aside for independent Puzi Mayor Wu Pin-jui, extending KMT-TPP coordination further south.
• DPP candidate and legislator Wang Mei-hui stressed that she has already secured funding for a library, a long-term care building, social housing and flood-prevention works, pledging to serve residents regardless of party affiliation if elected.
• In Taipei, meanwhile, the TPP is reported to be unhappy that Chiang Wan-an's campaign appearance looked like an act of "charity," with Ko Wen-je hitting back that the DPP's candidate Puma Shen is too weak.

Outlook: The KMT-TPP cooperation model in central and southern Taiwan will continue to face scrutiny, and the Chiayi City race has become a bellwether battleground for the three-way contest between the parties.