Taichung Mayor Lu Shiu-yen is testing the waters on China policy for the first time, a sign she is lining up a 2028 presidential run — good for the KMT's cross-strait wing, awkward for rivals.

• Two of Lu's closest aides travel to Dongguan in early September for a Taiwan products fair, standing in for a trip she avoided during election season.
• Taiwanese businesspeople in China had pushed for Lu herself to visit, and want her to go after the November 28 vote but before she leaves office in December.
• The delegation will stay tightly grouped, meet local business figures, and avoid any formal meetings or banquets with Chinese officials.
• Cross-strait pressure is building elsewhere: Xi Jinping is expected in the U.S. in late September for a second meeting with Trump this year, with Taiwan on the agenda.
• Taiwan's legislature passed a drone and defense-autonomy bill committing NT$240 billion over six years, with the defense ministry handling military procurement.

Outlook: Expect Lu to make a formal China trip in the weeks between the local elections and her handover, framing herself as the KMT's cross-strait candidate for 2028.