New Taipei's mayoral race is heating up over money, with KMT candidate Li Si-chuan accusing the central government of shortchanging the city and calling on his rival to fight for a bigger share.

• New Taipei gets the smallest per-person share of centrally distributed tax money of any city in Taiwan.
• Li Si-chuan says the central government is playing both sides: raising the tax allocation while quietly cutting project and general subsidies to the city.
• Mayor Hou Yu-ih has made the same complaint, arguing the money given with one hand is taken back with the other.
• Li says his opponent Su Chiao-hui, still a sitting legislator, should be pressing the central government to protect New Taipei's budget.
• Campaigning in Xindian, Li promised a second phase of the Baogao smart industry park to bring AI and high-tech jobs to the area.

Outlook: Expect the funding fight to stay a central theme of the New Taipei race through the year-end election.