Foxconn founder Terry Gou again bids to become Taiwan’s president

Terry Gou, the founder and former CEO of Taiwanese contract manufacturing titan Hon Hai Precision Industry (aka Foxconn) is making a second attempt to become president and therefore head of state of the democracy. The 72 year old Guo bid for the presidency in 2019, running in primary elections for Kuomintang, the Chinese …

[DS999]

Given how much of Foxconn's operations are based in mainland China

Would he really be who a Taiwanese resident would want to be in charge? Would he act in the best interests of Taiwan or in the best interests of Foxconn if a conflict with China was looming?

His potential conflicts of interest make Trump's foreign conflicts of interest look like chickenfeed by comparison. The idea of electing someone with business experience is a good thing, but probably someone with experience in a small/local/regional business. Not international business, finance or real estate. Their interests and that of the country may have much less overlap than you would like.

[NeilPost]

Re: Given how much of Foxconn's operations are based in mainland China

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001kbxp

If you can get at it, the BBC World investigation into Chinese intimidation and misinformation war in Taiwan is a great watch.

[Claverhouse]

Go your Ways, and Pour Out the Vials of the Wrath of God upon the Earth

Administration officials recently indicated the US would prefer Taiwan-based semiconductor factories be destroyed rather than falling into China’s hands.

One has the impression that America --- particularly under Biden myopic intense overlordship --- will prefer everything in every foreign country destroyed rather than lose however partially to others.

[doublelayer]

Conflicts of interest

While it's not immediately disqualifying, it's always risky to have particularly powerful leaders have massive investments in countries that hate the one they're running. If China decides to take over the extremely valuable factories, it's best for the president not to be the one who would lose billions as a result. I'd have thought that already having billions should be a good layer of insulation against that kind of thing, but time has taught me that I do not and probably will never understand how billionaires think and they can never have enough money.