Taiwan's political fight over China's threats turned personal, as a DPP Taipei mayoral candidate's bulletproof vest drew mockery from rivals.

• Puma Shen, the DPP's candidate for Taipei mayor, wore a bulletproof vest while jogging in Tokyo, saying he does it on every foreign trip because China has issued a warrant for him.
• KMT councillor Ling Tao called it political theater and a sign of a candidate cracking under pressure, suggesting he stay in Taipei and rely on city police instead.
• Former lawmaker Shen Fu-hsiung dismissed it as a joke, arguing Beijing finds him too much trouble to even detain, let alone target.
• The row lands as China tightens exit-entry rules from mid-September, with Taipei's own agency warning five categories of people about personal risk.
• Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim returned from a low-profile Italy trip that took 27 hours and routed around Chinese airspace, with flight tracking switched off at one point.

Outlook: Expect security and China threats to stay a central campaign theme as Taiwan's local elections approach, with both parties using them to attack the other's credibility.