Kuomintang New Taipei mayoral candidate Li Si-chuan is shoring up his base through local organisations and grassroots borough chiefs, a positive signal for his campaign.

• The Xizhi and Wanli "Friends of Chuan" groups were launched on the same day, drawing about 1,500 people across the two events, with a number of borough chiefs appearing on stage in support.
• The "Friends of Chuan" groups are formed spontaneously by borough chiefs and local notables, and have already been set up in 25 districts, with the goal of covering all 29 districts of New Taipei.
• His policy platform centres on rail construction, linking the high-tech industrial belt across Xizhi, Neihu and Nangang to create a 30-minute living circle across Taipei and New Taipei, in cooperation with Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an.
• At the local level, he is focusing on upgrading fishing harbours, Wanli crab tourism, and studying the reopening of the Wanshuang Tunnel to connect the National Palace Museum and Yehliu.
• He has also put forward childcare and maternity policies, including public childcare centres at every school and extending the "Good Pregnancy" shuttle service until a child turns one, aimed at easing the burden on young families.

Outlook: The Friends of Chuan groups are expected to keep expanding into the remaining four districts, and the campaign's short-term focus will stay on grassroots organisational mobilisation and the contest over transport and childcare policy.