Zhubei City Mayor Cheng Chao-fang has formally registered his candidacy for Hsinchu County magistrate, making his administrative record in Zhubei his main selling point and mounting a direct challenge to the incumbent county government.

• He completed his registration accompanied by a large group of supporters, campaigning under the slogan "Zhubei experience, delivered for Hsinchu County."
• His main policy pledge is to extend the development experience of his more than three years in Zhubei to all 13 townships and cities in the county.
• He has put forward a "one township, one specialty" plan: Zhudong would serve as a transformation demonstration zone; Hsinfeng and Hukou would first address education and traffic congestion; and Guanxi and Hsinpu would develop Hakka culture and tourism.
• Baoshan, Emei and Beipu would focus on experiential tourism, while mountain areas such as Wufeng and Jianshi would pursue ecotourism.

Outlook: With the race for Hsinchu County magistrate now officially under way, whether Cheng Chao-fang can extend his strong popularity in Zhubei to the Hakka villages and indigenous areas will be the key to victory.