With campaign fever rising ahead of Taiwan's year-end elections, former Premier Su Tseng-chang has publicly hinted that Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai will return to the central government and be promoted to a senior post — a boost for the Democratic Progressive Party's morale.

• Chen Chi-mai held a book launch in Kaohsiung, where Tsai Ing-wen, Su Tseng-chang, Lai Jui-lung and other leading Green-camp figures appeared together to show their support.
• Su Tseng-chang revealed that when he sought to make Chen Chi-mai his vice premier, aides tried to dissuade him on the grounds that "he is Tsai Ing-wen's man"; Su replied that he was Tsai's man too.
• Su Tseng-chang predicted that one day Chen Chi-mai would return to the Executive Yuan's cabinet meetings, and would "take a different seat, sitting very far forward" — read as a hint at the premiership.
• The Blue-Green sparring has spread to Taipei and New Taipei: Lai Ching-te teased Chiang Wan-an for always saying "go ask Kaohsiung," and Chiang shot back with "besieging Chiang to save Lai — Lai is no match for Tsai."
• The New Taipei mayoral race remains tight, with different polls showing different front-runners; the gap between Lee Szu-chuan and Su Chiao-hui has fluctuated between five and seven percentage points.

Outlook: The year-end local elections will be the main battleground, with the Blue-Green showdown in New Taipei and Chen Chi-mai's move to the central government the key things to watch next.