Puma Shen, the Democratic Progressive Party's candidate for Taipei mayor, travelled to Tokyo to launch a Japan-based support group, holding up the Japanese capital as a model for Taipei's urban governance — a positive boost for his campaign.

• The "Mayor Puma Shen Japan Support Group" was formally established in Tokyo. All 300 seats were filled as soon as registration opened, with many overseas Taiwanese travelling from Kansai and Kyushu to attend.
• Taiwan's representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang, Japanese House of Representatives member Susumu Yamaguchi and Kobe city councillor Hirohiro Uehata attended to offer their greetings, highlighting Taiwan-Japan exchanges at the local level.
• The trip had three aims: to set up the support group, to pursue parliamentary diplomacy in his capacity as a legislator, and to study Tokyo's urban governance and advance city diplomacy.
• He said he hopes the support group will become "Taipei's eyes" after the election, serving as a bridge for civic and industry exchanges between Taipei and Tokyo.
• Because he is subject to a wanted notice issued by China, he wore a bulletproof vest throughout the trip abroad. He also criticised incumbent mayor Chiang Wan-an for responding to media questions with silence.

Outlook: Further exchanges with members of Japan's parliament and political figures are expected during the visit, though whether the list of meetings can be made public will depend on the Japanese side.