A brief clash of egos on Taiwan's campaign trail is being defused, a mildly positive sign for KMT New Taipei mayoral candidate Li Szu-chuan as he tries to keep the race focused on policy.

• Former Premier Su Tseng-chang made a grand entrance at a senior citizens' banquet in Yingge, cutting off Li's speech and patting him on the shoulder, which set off heated public debate.
• Li brushed it off, saying both men are from Pingtung, that he often calls Su the "old county chief," and that Su did not appear to mean any harm.
• Li used a temple charity event in Xizhi to push his transport platform: speeding up rail links between Xizhi and Taipei, working closely with Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, and building a new metro line along the Dahan River connecting Sanchong, Xinzhuang, and Shulin.
• A Japanese scholar's analysis calls New Taipei the key battleground in the year-end elections and rates Li and DPP rival Su Chiao-hui as evenly matched.

Outlook: Expect Li to keep steering attention toward his 20-plus policy pledges and district visits as the tight New Taipei race heads into its final months.