Taiwan's small opposition party is teaming up with the bigger Nationalist camp in Taoyuan ahead of the 2026 local elections, a boost for both against the ruling DPP.

• The Taiwan People's Party formally launched a four-candidate team for the Taoyuan city council, rallying outside the city election commission.
• Party secretary-general Chou Yu-hsiu said the group works well with Taoyuan mayor Chang San-cheng and council speaker Chiu Yi-sheng, and will invite the mayor to campaign alongside them when the timing is right.
• Taoyuan branch head Hung Yu-hsiang said channels for working with the mayor are already set up, and the candidates will appear with him to show a "blue-white cooperation" front.
• The pitch to voters is local: fast growth has left the city with traffic and everyday quality-of-life problems that need fixing.
• Chou also played down a dispute in Zhubei, Hsinchu County, saying he hopes the friction there does not spill over into Taoyuan.

Outlook: Expect joint appearances between the TPP candidates and the Nationalist mayor as the two opposition parties test how far their alliance can go before the vote.