Taiwanese Democratic Progressive Party legislator Puma Shen has formally registered his candidacy for mayor of Taipei, with former president Tsai Ing-wen appearing in person to campaign alongside him — a sign of the green camp's all-out push for the capital.

• Shen registered at the Taipei City Election Commission on the 2nd, accompanied at the rally by Tsai and 26 DPP city council candidates.
• Tsai presented him with a ship's wheel symbolising command of the helm, comparing the governing of a city to sailing a ship and calling for risks to be spotted early rather than chasing problems after the fact.
• Tsai singled out Shen's long record of research on national security, saying he is at his best identifying risks before a crisis breaks — precisely the kind of mayor Taipei needs.
• Shen criticised the current city government for responding to events only by saying it "has a handle on things," arguing that Taipei needs long-term planning with the goal of matching first-tier cities such as New York and Tokyo.
• Polling day is set for 28 November, just over 80 days away.

Outlook: The battle for the capital is formally under way, and over the next two months and more the blue and green camps will clash fiercely over municipal governance credentials and national security backgrounds.