Author: Chris Horton / Source: New York Times
Ritchie B Tongo/EPA, via Shutterstock
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The billionaire Terry Gou, whose company is best known for manufacturing iPhones, announced Wednesday he would run for Taiwan’s presidency, saying his bid had received a divine blessing — from a Chinese sea goddess.
Mr. Gou’s entrance into the presidential race shakes up Taiwan’s political playing field and draws into sharp focus the self-ruled island democracy’s strained relations with China, where his consumer electronics giant, Foxconn, has large investments.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Gou donned a baseball cap and sunglasses and visited a temple in Taipei dedicated to a popular Taoist and Buddhist goddess, Mazu, who is believed to protect seafarers. Mr. Gou told reporters the deity had approached him in a dream, entreating him to run for president in order to improve the economy and relations with China.
“Mazu said I must take care of the youth,” he told reporters after burning incense. “I must do everything I can to help those who are struggling.”
Mr. Gou is not struggling.
He founded Foxconn, officially known as Honhai Precision Industry Company, in 1974, and led its growth into one of the world’s largest corporations, with more than one million employees. Unlike his rivals, he has no experience in government, but his personal wealth, estimated by Forbes to exceed $7 billion, will be an asset, both in terms of prestige and financing his campaign.
Taiwan’s slow growth and difficult job market for young people and the working class are expected to be major issues in the race.
But also figuring largely are ties between China and Taiwan, which have been strained since Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, took office in 2016. Mr. Gou would seek the nomination of the opposition party,…
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