A former Hsinchu County chief struck KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun in the face at a public campaign event, drawing cross-party condemnation and turning an internal blue-camp fight into a political violence story.

• Fan Chen-tsung hit Cheng in the face in front of cameras while backing Hsinchu County candidate Hsu Hsin-ying's registration.
• A New Power Party candidate called it a red line, saying opposing someone's politics never justifies violence or public humiliation.
• The gender and seniority gap made it worse — an older man striking a younger woman in public, which critics said cannot be waved off as a joke.
• Fan was already attacking Cheng on stage over failed blue-white opposition unity, telling her she would be the main culprit if they lose.

Outlook: Expect more pressure on party leaders to disown the act, with the incident feeding an already ugly fight over opposition unity before the local elections.