The race for mayor of Taoyuan in Taiwan is heating up early, with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mounting an all-out push for this key city currently governed by the Kuomintang (KMT) — putting pressure on incumbent mayor Chang San-cheng.

• Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim attended the DPP's 40th anniversary celebrations and publicly campaigned for Taoyuan mayoral candidate Huang Shih-chieh.
• Huang has centred his campaign on "stalled city governance," saying Taoyuan has lacked long-term planning over the past three years and calling on voters to use their ballots to hold incumbent mayor Chang San-cheng to account.
• The DPP has positioned Taoyuan as the "gateway city," stressing that its airport and complete industrial supply chain make it Taiwan's face to the world.
• The event featured a flag-presentation ceremony at which city council candidates appeared together, effectively marking the official start of the year-end campaign.

Outlook: In the run-up to the year-end elections, Taoyuan will become a main battleground between the KMT and the DPP, and the exchanges between the two sides will continue to intensify.