Taiwan's two opposition parties are publicly patching up their alliance after it fell apart in one city, a sign of strain but not a breakup.

• The KMT and the smaller TPP failed to agree on a joint candidate in Zhubei, and Changhua looks shaky too.
• Taichung mayor Lu Shiu-yen said unity is hard but the two sides win together and lose apart.
• TPP chairman Huang Kuo-chang said neither side should wreck the basis for cooperation where it still works.
• Both backed Chiang Chi-chen, the deputy legislative speaker, to succeed Lu in Taichung.
• The show of goodwill came at a casual joint appearance at Taichung city hall.

Outlook: Expect more city-by-city haggling before the 2026 local elections, with the alliance holding in big races like Taichung even as smaller ones break down.