Could Taipei’s unexpectedly tight mayoral race add to cross-strait tensions?

Taipei Mayor Wayne Chiang Wan-an faces an unexpectedly tough re-election fight in a race closely watched for its potential to damage the main opposition party Kuomintang and further strain the island’s relations with Beijing.Just five months ago, Chiang appeared comfortably positioned for a second term in a city where the KMT has traditionally enjoyed an advantage over the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.A poll by local cable news network TVBS in late May put him 28 percentage points ahead of DPP challenger Puma Shen, reinforcing expectations that the incumbent could coast to a second term.