Terry Guo, 72, the creator of Foxconn, has revealed his desire to run for president in Taiwan's crucial 2024 elections, despite Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aggressiveness and threats of invasion.
Mr. Guo, the wealthy founder of a key Apple Inc. supplier, told the press that Taiwan "absolutely cannot be the next Ukraine" and that he will not allow "Taiwan to be the next Ukraine."
He begged the Taiwanese for four years, vowing to keep the Taiwan Strait peaceful for the following 50 years.
To ensure his candidacy, Taiwanese law requires Mr. Guo to collect signatures from at least 1.5 percent of the total number of voters in the most recent parliamentary election, or roughly 290,000 signatures, within 45 days—not an easy task—and to pay a NT$1 million ($31,400) deposit.
Vice President Lai Ching-te (or William Lai, 63) of the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Hou Yu-ih, 66, of the Kuomintang party, Ko Wen-je, 64, of the Taiwan People's Party, and Su Huan-chih of the Taiwan Renewal Party are the current contenders. The conclusion will be widely followed since it will determine the CCP's power in the region.
According to a recent Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation poll, Mr. Lai has 56.6 percent of the vote, followed by Mr. Ko with 19.6 percent and Mr. Hou with 12.4 percent. 11.3 percent of those respondents had no opinion. Between August 14 and 15, 1,081 people were polled.
Mr. Guo will run as an independent candidate. He previously ran for president in 2019, resigning as Foxconn CEO to run as a Kuomintang party candidate. Historically, the Kuomintang has favored close relations with China. He stepped out of the contest after failing to earn the party's nomination in the primary.
The election is set on January 13, 2024, with the winner inaugurated on May 20, 2024.
According to Taiwan's Constitution, President Tsai Ing-wen, who has served two terms, is ineligible for a third.
She has given her support to Mr. Lai for President. Mr. Lai claims that his administration will be "anti-CCP but not anti-China," and that it will resist the Chinese regime's annexation of Taiwan. He has harshly attacked the CCP's efforts to extend and alter the international order.
