Taiwan's Taipei mayor race is heating up, with the challenger's bulletproof vest and a shrinking poll gap putting pressure on the incumbent.

• Puma Shen, the DPP's Taipei mayor candidate, says he wears body armor whenever he travels abroad because China has issued a wanted notice for him.
• Incumbent mayor Chiang Wan-an brushed it off by saying both Taipei and Japan are safe, drawing mockery online over recent shootings in the city.
• Shen fired back that Chiang avoids naming either the likely attacker or the likely victim, so he talks about "the environment" instead.
• A DPP internal poll claims Shen has closed a 20-point gap to single digits ahead of the year-end local elections.
• Shen's radio interview passed a million views, beating Chiang's numbers and reaching beyond the usual party base.

Outlook: Expect the race to stay personal and China-focused as the November local elections approach.