Taiwan's election commission says 26 registered candidates in the upcoming local elections have Chinese spouses, up from the last cycle — a politically sensitive point given worries about Beijing's influence.

• Registration for Taiwan's nine-in-one local elections has closed, and 26 candidates were flagged as having a Chinese-national spouse.
• Most are running for very local seats: 19 for village or borough chief, plus a handful of city and county council and township posts.
• That is seven more than the last round of local elections.
• New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi brushed the question aside, saying it will all be handled under the election law.

Outlook: Expect the issue to feed into Taiwan's broader debate over Chinese influence as campaigning ramps up toward the vote.