Foxconn Founder Terry Gou Announces Run for Taiwan Presidency
TimeSep 01, 2023
The Facts
Foxconn founder Terry Gou announced on Monday for Taiwan's presidency in the Jan. 2024 election, saying he wanted to unite the opposition and ensure that Taiwan doesn't become "the next Ukraine."
Gou, who is a billionaire, stepped down from his position at Foxconn in 2019 to pursue a nomination for the Kuomintang (KMT) — an opposition party that historically favors close ties with China.
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
In the past seven years, the Democratic Progressive Party has led Taiwan to the brink of war. If Foxconn's billionaire founder Terry Gou wins the upcoming election, he has promised to bring 50 years of peace to the Taiwan Strait and build the deepest foundation of trust throughout the region. Gou's vision would bring deep stability to the region in a complex multipolar world.
Pro-establishment narrative
Gou's appeasement to Beijing is deeply problematic. It is not in Taipei's interests — nor in the interest of the global community — for a presidential candidate to be platforming geopolitically destabilizing PRC talking points. Unlike Gou, the DPP believes in defending national sovereignty, democracy, and freedom — which is why the DPP holds a strong lead in the polls.
