Kaohsiung mayor Chen Chi-mai used the opening of the city council session to defend his six-year push to remake the city, a message aimed at voters and businesses ahead of upcoming local elections.

• Chen said he has run the city with a "no way back" mindset, pushing hard on transformation.
• Kaohsiung is trying to shift from heavy industry to high tech while also cutting carbon emissions — a double transition he called harder than what other cities face.
• He urged ruling-party councillors to win their seats, joking that he knows how much losing hurts.
• Practical promises: wider use of senior transit cards in rural areas, possibly covering lunches at health stations, and the Sanmin district slaughterhouse closing next year as the new metro line opens up the area.
• A new book on his 2,314 days in office went up for pre-order the same day, framed around residents rather than himself.

Outlook: With council and mayoral terms both winding down, expect Chen to keep selling the tech-and-green transition story as the election campaign heats up.