Foxconn’s Terry Gou throws hat in the ring for Taiwan’s 2020 presidential race

TAIPEI, Apr 17, 2019, SCMP. Foxconn chairman Terry Gou will make a run for Taiwan’s presidency in 2020, challenging the incumbent Tsai Ing-wen. Gou, Taiwan’s richest man with a net worth of US$7.6 billion, said on Wednesday that he would take part in the opposition Kuomintang’s (KMT) party primaries for the race, reported the South China Morning Post.

“I am willing to [join others] in taking part in the party’s primary, and do not want to be selected to run under any special arrangement,” Guo said after a meeting with the KMT in Taipei on Wednesday.

“If I win [the primary], I will represent the party to run for president, and if I lose, I will give my full support to the winner during his campaign.”

He said that regardless of whether he remained an entrepreneur, he strongly believed Taiwan needed to maintain “peace, stability, the economy and the future”.

He called on the KMT to rebuild its core spirit to serve the country and the people, regain its honour and support young people.

“[It] is about duty and responsibility rather than making money. The people’s interests are always bigger than the party’s interests,” he said.

Taiwanese tycoon Gou thanks Chinese sea goddess for inspiration then announces 2020 presidential run
Also at the meeting, Gou accepted a citation from the KMT in recognition of his strong support for the Beijing-friendly party in recent years.

In 2016, Gou offered a no-interest loan of NT$45 million (US$1.5 million) to the party to help it through financial difficulties.

Earlier in the day, Gou said he gained inspiration to “do more things for Taiwan” after he dreamed of Goddess Matsu.

Gou founded Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, in 1974 with US$7,500 and 10 staff in Taiwan. The company has factories in a number of countries – most of them in mainland China – employing more than a million workers.

In 2017, he visited the White House and met US President Donald Trump. After the meeting, Foxconn announced a plan to increase investment in the United States.

He said that in a phone conversation with Trump in February, the US president suggested that Foxconn hire military veterans to meet the demand for tech workers.