Terry Gou, the founder of Foxconn and a major supplier for Apple, has announced his candidacy for Taiwan’s next president in the 2024 elections as an independent candidate. Gou had previously made unsuccessful bids as the candidate for Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang. He now aims to gather enough voter signatures to qualify as an independent candidate by November 2.
Gou’s campaign focuses on the need to avoid war with China and brings attention to his business background. However, Taiwan’s Vice President William Lai, the candidate for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, is seen as the favorite to win the election. The election is taking place amidst heightened tensions between Taiwan and Beijing, with China conducting military exercises near the island.