The Taipei mayoral race has entered a fever pitch, with Democratic Progressive Party candidate Shen Po-yang pushing debates and cross-camp courtesy calls, while incumbent Mayor Chiang Wan-an holds a steady lead, leaving the challenger under considerable pressure.

• Shen Po-yang travelled south to visit former President Chen Shui-bian. The two added each other on a messaging app and the mood was relaxed; Chen Chih-chung joked on social media that once his father got talking, there was no stopping him.
• Shen Po-yang has called for "weekly debates, at least ten in total" before the election, and Chiang Wan-an has signalled he is willing to take part, provided the two sides agree on cross-examination.
• The latest poll in the Songshan-Xinyi district shows Chiang Wan-an leading Shen Po-yang by more than twenty percentage points, and Kuomintang councillors have flatly criticised the green camp's claim of having "closed the gap to single digits" as having no basis in the data.
• Shen Po-yang wore a bulletproof vest while running during a trip to Japan, saying it was because he is wanted by China, sparking a debate over public safety in Taipei; the blue camp has called it an attempt to divert attention.
• Beyond the blue and green base vote, the more than 300,000 swing votes are seen as decisive, and some blue-camp supporters are reported to be wavering.

Outlook: Whether the two sides sign a letter of intent on debates, and how the swing vote moves, will be the key things to watch in the race over the coming weeks.