Authorities in Taiwan have detained the leader of the island's Taiwan People's Communist Party, accusing him of running as a candidate for borough chief under the direction and sponsorship of China's Communist Party, local media reported on Sunday.

Lin Te-wang, the party's chairman, is also accused of directing another party member to contest the post of chief in a separate borough, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA), which cited a statement by prosecutors. A court approved the application to detain him.

Prosecutors allege that Mr Lin attempted to buy votes by repeatedly recruiting voters to travel to mainland China, where they were provided with hospitality. Investigators said they had received intelligence about possible foreign interference in the elections and summoned 14 people and nine witnesses as part of the inquiry. The other party member was released on bail of 50,000 Taiwan dollars, around 525 US dollars, while the remaining people summoned were released during the investigation.

Taiwan is scheduled to hold elections for mayors and local area chiefs on 28 November. The detention comes against the backdrop of longstanding tensions with Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control.

Mr Lin has faced similar allegations before. He and another party leader were previously charged with Chinese infiltration and attempting to influence elections, but both were found not guilty in 2025, the Taipei Times reported. The latest allegations have not been proven in court, and no finding of guilt has been made.