China's Taiwan Affairs Office is accused of using Hong Kong newspapers to push claims against Taipei mayoral candidate Shen Po-yang — bad for Beijing's influence campaign, since most Taiwanese media ignored it.

• Hong Kong's Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po ran the same report minutes apart before dawn, claiming Shen's family business trades with China.
• The Taiwan Affairs Office then passed the story to Taiwan-based reporters, framing it as "Hong Kong media coverage" to give it weight.
• Almost no Taiwanese outlets picked it up, so Beijing's office held a press conference to push the claims again.
• No Taiwanese reporter there wanted to ask about it, and a friendly Hong Kong-based outlet was lined up to raise the question instead.
• Shen rejected the same accusations last year, and his family's business appears to be ordinary international trade.

Outlook: Expect more of these cross-strait media pushes as Taipei's mayoral race heats up, with limited traction while public awareness of foreign interference stays high.