Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) on Monday announced that he will run in next year’s presidential election as an independent candidate, pledging to bring 50 years of peace to Taiwan, double the nation’s GDP growth rate and bring prosperity to the public.
Touting finance and business management chops, Gou said the era of “entrepreneurs’ rule” has come and only he has the skills needed in a future president of Taiwan. He also called for unity among “anti-green coalition” opposition party candidates to remove the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from power.
“I am not a conventional politician. I am doing it to change Taiwan’s economy and people’s livelihood. As a political freshman, there are many aspects I still need to learn,” he wrote on Facebook on Friday.
Yet, as a politics newbie, he and his campaign team’s remarks do not show modesty, but a disrespect for fundamental values of democracy and to the integrity needed in a trustworthy politician, as well as to professionalism needed in policymaking.
Before Monday, Gou held several campaign-like events across Taiwan in the name of a “Mainstream Public Opinion Alliance,” but as public opinion is often reflected in polling results, recent numbers all showed Gou as having the lowest support rate when running against DPP candidate Vice President William Lai (賴清德), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
While many remember Gou’s remark that “democracy does not help GDP growth … democracy is a process, not the fruit, and only the economic fruit can feed stomachs,” local media in June reported Gou expressing confidence in a “merger and acquisition” of the TPP in the upcoming election, implying his disregard for party politics and lack of sincerity in negotiating.
Gou also demonstrated his arrogance towards the process in a news conference on Monday. Reporters were forced to wait by venue elevators, with the event opening about 30 minutes later than scheduled. Gou called the press a “manufacturing industry” that needs to create political issues; accused a Singaporean correspondent of no longer being impartial, but of having “learned from Taiwanese media” to “set traps” in his question for him, and deflected when asked about China.
In a May speech he said that “nine out of 10 politicians tell lies, and the other is still in training” while joking that he is still training, yet his actions suggest he might already be well-trained.
Many KMT supporters have criticized him for his broken promises to support Hou. Several media outlets also cited a 2017 CNN news report, listing a number of big investment announcements by Hon Hai around the world since 2011 which have yet to materialize.
To make matters worse, Gou’s two “team members,” former Department of Health minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) as think tank member, and nuclear power advocate Huang Shih-hsiu (黃士修) as spokesperson, further reflect an erosion of professionalism.
Yaung last Sunday said domestic violence exists “because the public is unable to beat up President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), so they take it out on people weaker than they are, by beating up their wives and children,” and said on Monday that “Taiwanese men’s sperm are becoming infertile and women are relying on egg freezing to give birth” as they are eating ractopamine-laced pork and irradiated food due to Tsai’s policies.
It is unclear if Gou will succeed in collecting 290,000 signatures needed to qualify as an independent, or if he will succeed in “integrating” opposition party candidates, but his remarks and actions raise serious concerns about competence.
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump’s second administration has gotten off to a fast start with a blizzard of initiatives focused on domestic commitments made during his campaign. His tariff-based approach to re-ordering global trade in a manner more favorable to the United States appears to be in its infancy, but the significant scale and scope are undeniable. That said, while China looms largest on the list of national security challenges, to date we have heard little from the administration, bar the 10 percent tariffs directed at China, on specific priorities vis-a-vis China. The Congressional hearings for President Trump’s cabinet have, so far,
US political scientist Francis Fukuyama, during an interview with the UK’s Times Radio, reacted to US President Donald Trump’s overturning of decades of US foreign policy by saying that “the chance for serious instability is very great.” That is something of an understatement. Fukuyama said that Trump’s apparent moves to expand US territory and that he “seems to be actively siding with” authoritarian states is concerning, not just for Europe, but also for Taiwan. He said that “if I were China I would see this as a golden opportunity” to annex Taiwan, and that every European country needs to think
For years, the use of insecure smart home appliances and other Internet-connected devices has resulted in personal data leaks. Many smart devices require users’ location, contact details or access to cameras and microphones to set up, which expose people’s personal information, but are unnecessary to use the product. As a result, data breaches and security incidents continue to emerge worldwide through smartphone apps, smart speakers, TVs, air fryers and robot vacuums. Last week, another major data breach was added to the list: Mars Hydro, a Chinese company that makes Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as LED grow lights and the
RSS