Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an has kicked off his re-election campaign while hitting back at the Presidential Office over its attacks on his family — the start of a mobilisation drive for the Kuomintang and an escalation of the political back-and-forth for the ruling party.

• Chiang set up his first support group in Wenshan District, the first campaign rally since registration closed for the year-end local elections.
• The Kuomintang's Taipei city branch plans to establish support groups in all twelve administrative districts, with events running through late October.
• Chiang gave a boost to fellow party city councillors and borough chiefs, stressing unity while listing achievements such as the start of construction on the southern ring section, urban renewal, and Double Ninth Festival cash gifts.
• He pushed back on the controversy over his eldest son's publicly funded exchange programme, questioning why opponents were using children for electoral purposes, and called on Lai Ching-te to explain the tainted cooking oil case.
• He also responded to reports that his son passed a scouting test only on a retake, saying most people cannot pass on the first attempt and that he took the subsequent test in line with the rules.

Outlook: The Taipei mayoral race has entered a phase of direct confrontation, and the disputes over family members and the tainted oil case are likely to keep burning in the short term.