Foxconn Founder Terry Guo Announces 2024 Taiwan Presidential Bid

Taiwan's independent presidential candidate and Foxconn founder Terry Gou (right) greets supporters while campaigning at a traditional market in Taipei on Aug. 11, 2023. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

Foxconn founder Terry Guo, 72, has announced his intentions to join the race for president in Taiwan's important 2024 elections amid aggression and threats of invasion by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In comments to the press, Mr. Guo, the billionaire founder of the major Apple Inc. supplier, said that Taiwan "absolutely cannot be the next Ukraine" and that he will not allow "Taiwan to be the next Ukraine."

He asked the Taiwanese people to give him four years, promising that he will bring peace to the Taiwan Strait for the next 50 years.

In order to secure his candidacy, Taiwanese law requires Mr. Guo to secure signatures from at least 1.5 percent of the total number of voters in the latest legislative election, or around 290,000 signatures within 45 days—not a small feat to achieve, and to pay a deposit of NT$1 million ($31,400).

The race currently has four candidates—Vice President Lai Ching-te (or William Lai, 63) from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Hou Yu-ih, 66, from the Kuomintang party, Ko Wen-je, 64, from the Taiwan People's Party, and Su Huan-chih from the Taiwan Renewal Party. It will be closely watched as the outcome will shape the CCP's influence in the region.

According to a recent poll by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation, Mr. Lai is leading with 56.6 percent of support, with Mr. Ko in second place with 19.6 percent, and Mr. Hou with 12.4 percent. 11.3 percent of those polled did not have an opinion. The poll surveyed 1,081 individuals from Aug. 14 to Aug. 15.

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Mr. Guo will run as an independent. He previously made a presidential bid in 2019, stepping down as Foxconn chief to run as a Kuomintang party candidate. The Kuomintang traditionally favors close ties with China. But he failed to win the party's nomination in the primary and dropped out of the race.

The election is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2024, with the winner scheduled to be inaugurated on May 20, 2024.

President Tsai Ing-wen, who has served two terms, is ineligible for a third according to Taiwan's Constitution.

She has endorsed Mr. Lai for president. Mr. Lai says that his government’s position would be “anti-CCP but not anti-China,” and would oppose Taiwan being annexed by the Chinese regime. He has strongly criticized the CCP for seeking to expand and change the international order.

Frank Fang and Reuters contributed to this report.