Billionaire entrepreneur Terry Gou, founder of Apple supplier Foxconn, has announced his independent bid for Taiwan’s presidency in the 2024 elections. After prior attempts with the Kuomintang party, Gou’s campaign centers on peace, warning against conflict with China and promising a new era of leadership for the island nation.
Billionaire entrepreneur Terry Gou, renowned for founding Apple supplier Foxconn, has officially thrown his hat into the ring for Taiwan’s 2024 presidential race.
Gou’s previous attempt at the presidency in 2019 fell short due to his failure to secure the nomination from the Kuomintang (KMT), the opposition party known for its pro-China stance.
In his latest endeavor, Gou embarked on a campaign to become the KMT’s candidate for the upcoming presidential election, only to be passed over in favor of Hou Yu-ih, the Mayor of New Taipei City.
This prompted Gou to take an independent route, marked by a series of energetic rallies and tours across Taiwan.
Expressing concern about Taiwan’s trajectory under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) over the past seven years, Gou emphasized the need for a different direction. He asserted that it was the “era of entrepreneur’s rule,” vowing to bring decades of peace to the Taiwan Strait if granted a four-year term.
A core theme of Gou’s pre-campaign messaging revolved around preventing conflict with China, a nation that claims Taiwan as part of its territory. Gou firmly believed that removing the DPP from power was crucial to achieving this goal.
To qualify as an independent candidate, Gou must gather nearly 300,000 voter signatures by November 2, adhering to election regulations. The Central Election Commission will then assess these signatures and release the results by November 14.
Despite Gou’s entry, Vice President William Lai of the ruling DPP remained the favored contender, leading the polls. Ko Wen-je, the former mayor of Taipei from the Taiwan People’s Party, generally held the second position, with Hou trailing behind.
In a bid to unite the opposition against the DPP, Gou extended an invitation to Ko and Hou for collaborative discussions. The KMT expressed regret over Gou’s independent bid and implored him to support the party’s candidate, Hou. China, on the other hand, remained wary of Lai due to his pro-Taiwan independence remarks.
While the DPP advocates for Taiwan’s distinct identity, its attempts at dialogue with China have repeatedly been rebuffed. As tensions between Taipei and Beijing escalated, highlighted by China’s military exercises near Taiwan, the approaching election took on even greater significance.
Gou addressed concerns about his Foxconn holdings and their ties to China, stating that he was willing to sacrifice his Chinese assets in the event of a conflict. Emphatically asserting his independence from the People’s Republic of China, Gou maintained that he operated outside their influence and instructions.
