TAIPEI: Terry Gou, the founder of major Apple supplier Foxconn, has resigned from the company’s board of directors, according to a statement by the Taiwanese firm on Saturday.
Gou’s decision to step down as a board member comes after months of speculation. Earlier this week, he officially announced his candidacy as an independent candidate in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for January. He previously resigned as Foxconn’s chairman in 2019.
In its brief statement, Foxconn cited “personal reasons” for Terry Gou’s resignation and highlighted that he had “officially handed over leadership of the group to a professional manager four years ago.” Gou’s campaign team declined to comment on his resignation from Foxconn’s board.
Challenges to Terry Gou’s Taiwan’s Presidential Bid
One significant issue surrounding Terry Gou’s presidential bid has been the potential conflict of interest due to his substantial ownership stake in Foxconn, a company with extensive investments in China. In response, Gou has stated that he is willing to “sacrifice” his personal assets in China in the event of a Chinese attack.
He further asserted, “I have never been under the control of the People’s Republic of China,” and emphasized that he does not follow their instructions.
Terry Gou is the fourth candidate to enter the presidential race, but his poll numbers prior to his official announcement placed him behind the front-runner, William Lai of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who currently serves as vice president.
Gou has frequently accused the DPP of pursuing confrontational policies towards China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory. The DPP-led government and William Lai have consistently offered talks with China, but these overtures have been rebuffed, as Beijing views them as promoting separatism.
In recent days, Terry Gou has sought to unify the opposition against the DPP, but no agreements have been reached thus far. The other two candidates in the race are former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je of the Taiwan People’s Party and Hou Yu-ih of the Kuomintang, Taiwan’s main opposition party, which traditionally favors closer ties with Beijing.
