Taiwan's local elections are intensifying as DPP candidate Puma Shen makes unexpected inroads against incumbent KMT Mayor Chiang Wan-an in the Taipei mayoral race, a contest being watched for its wider political signal to China.

• Shen told Reuters that even a Chiang re-election would count as a "slap in the face" to China, since Taiwan's free, uninterrupted elections themselves are what Beijing finds humiliating.
• Shen says he'd keep the Taipei-Shanghai cross-strait forum running as long as it comes with no political strings attached, arguing China still wants to keep a dialogue channel open.
• He's downplaying the China issue in his own campaign, instead courting voters who previously opposed him and reaching across party lines, including meeting with a respected former KMT city council speaker, which rattled the Chiang camp.
• A prominent financial commentator says Shen is the most impressive new political talent in decades and predicts he could be a future presidential contender if he wins Taipei.
• Chiang's campaign is firing back with a strong show of support, drawing enthusiastic crowds at schools and planning a large pro-incumbent rally ahead of election day.

Outlook: The race is seen as unusually close for a city that traditionally favored the KMT, with the next three weeks likely to bring more cross-party outreach moves and rallies from both sides.