As the Taipei mayoral race heats up, Democratic Progressive Party candidate Shen Po-yang has pushed China's surveillance of and pressure on him to the centre of the campaign agenda — a risk for him, but also a bargaining chip.

• While visiting Japan, Shen Po-yang went running in a bulletproof vest, saying that showing fear would mean falling into China's psychological warfare trap.
• The Taipei District Prosecutors Office found that the pinhole camera outside his home was installed by a Taiwanese private investigation firm commissioned and paid for by individuals from Hong Kong; four people have been indicted.
• Kuomintang Taipei city councillor Yang Chih-tou, who had previously mocked him for "overthinking it", issued a public apology, stressing that surveillance should be condemned regardless of party colours.
• He said he has never classified Chinese spouses as a high infiltration risk; the highest risk, he said, lies with legislators, and he advocates управление through a reporting mechanism rather than punishment.
• On whether the Taipei-Shanghai Twin City Forum should continue, his conditions are that there be no political preconditions and that it bring concrete benefits to Taiwan's industries.

Outlook: With just over fifty days until the local elections, Chinese pressure, drug policy and the death penalty debate are expected to be the main battlegrounds in the Taipei mayoral race.