No. 4, September 5, 2019

Terry Gou, currently the richest man in Taiwan, is considering running for president.
(Photo from: United Daily News)

● Featured News: Gou Staff: If Gou decides to run for president, he will do so as an independent and declare candidacy by September 17

● Featured Editorial: Why Is Terry Gou Willing To Be Ko Wen-je's Stepping Stone?
● Featured Opinion: Han Kuo-yu’s Predicament And The Terry Gou Effect
● This Week in Taiwan: Other Important Events This Week

Gou Staff: If Gou decides to run for president, he will do so as an independent and declare candidacy by September 17

United Daily News, August 31, 2019

 

The question of whether or not Terry Gou, former chairman of Foxconn, will join the presidential race has garnered much attention. Gou’s staffer Tsai Chin-yu specifically stated that if Gou did run, he would do so as an independent and make the announcement prior to September 17. Tsai stated that even as an independent, Terry Gou will join like-minded people and fight for the Republic of China. 

 

In an interview with the Commonwealth Magazine, Mayor Ko Wen-je of Taipei expressed that if Terry Gou did not register before September 17th, “what’s left is for me to consult with James Soong (chairman of the People First Party) and see if he might nominate me.” However, it is understood that if Gou runs as an independent, he will be inclined to join the race as by petition rather than through the recommendation by a political party. 

 

Rumors surfaced that James Soong would give Terry Gou the “ticket” by having his party recommend Gou as a presidential candidate. Tsai responded by expressing gratitude for the public’s support and encouragement. She stated that the rumors reflected the public’s anxiety about the current situation.

 

Final consultation regarding how Gou, Ko and Wang would cooperate

 

As things stand, Gou joining the race as an independent does not represent any change in his established alliance with Ko and Wang Jin-pyng, former speaker of the Legislative Yuan. As for how the cooperation will be structured, the three parties will meet after Gou returns.

 

Chairman Wu Dun-yi of the KMT has clearly stated that if Terry Gou collects the necessary signatures and joins the presidential race, he will be deprived of his membership to the KMT Party. Tsai Chin-yu stated: “This is the position of the KMT. As to whether or not Gou will give up party membership to run, Gou’s camp is not in control.”

 

As we count down to Gou’s announcement, Yan Ching-piao, chairman of the Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung and an influential figure in local politics, issued a statement urging Gou to see the bigger picture. This statement, according to informed sources, is also targeted towards Wang Jing-pyng. This is a common sentiment within the KMT, an appeal that the party not be divided. Yan is a very close friend to both Gou and Wang. However, Yan told his friends in private that the reason he supports Han is because Han represents the ordinary people — which is why Gou and Wang should give him a chance and put their support behind Han. 

 

Gou Camp: We wish Han the best.

 

In response to Yan’s statement, Tsai Chin-yu stated that Terry Gou is looking at the bigger picture — namely, “the Republic of China and the livelihood of her 23 million people.” To Mayor Han, we wish him the best of luck.     

 

Wang Jin-pyng’s office also said that what’s on top of his mind and what he is doing is to defend the Republic of China and protect the sovereignty of Taiwan. His goal is to follow a steady course, keep the country safe, society stable, and economy better developed. His hope is for the betterment of the R.O.C., Taiwan and its people. 

 

According to Tsai, if Gou decides to run, he will report to the public his final decision before the deadline September the 17th. The specific date of the announcement is still under review. 

 

In response to the media’s question of whether or not running as an independent means the collapse of the Alliance of Gou, Ko, and Wang, Tsai stated “No. We will still join with like-minded people to fight together for the Republic of China.” As to whether or not Gou will decline working with any political party, Tsai stated there was no such consideration at the moment.

 

From: https://udn.com/news/story/12702/4020512

Why is Terry Gou Willing To Be Ko Wen-je's Stepping Stone?
Editorial, United Daily News,August 27, 2019

 

As tycoon Terry Gou, former Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng and Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je finally appeared in the same "photo frame" on August 23, rumors on cooperation among these three presidential hopefuls seem to become more and more tangible. This has made the KMT grassroots very anxious.

In addition, all signs have indicated that Terry Gou has a very strong intention to run. This could be seen from his refusals to  persuasions not to run from the KMT, his frequent private meetings with Mayor Ko, and the continuous expansion of his staff and spokesmen team.

At this critical moment, Terry Gou has to ask himself: what is the purpose of his  running? what is his chance of success, and is teaming up with Mayor Ko his best option?

If Terry Gou's intention to run comes from the accumulated grudges in the primary loss, then this narrow-minded motivation cannot sustain him as a candidate with integrity and respect.

If Terry Gou's insistence to run comes purely out of his love of country, hoping to stem the downward tides the country has suffered from in recent years, then he deserves our respect and admiration. But be careful, this may run counter to the goal that he  hopes to achieve.

On this, we have to assess Gou's chance of success. As we know, Ko has been mulling to run for President for some time, but has backed up recently. The reason is that Mayor Ko ranked the third most of the time and second a couple of time in the public polls on a 3-way race conducted by both the Blue and Green camps. He is fully aware that his chance is slim.

Aside from that, after the news-"Gou-Ko-Wang Trio"- is out, Ko's website has lost 11,000 fans. Moreover, there are few members in Ko's Taiwan People's Party. And Ko does not even consider to be Terry Gou's running mate.

Under these circumstances, how could Mayor Ko be able to help Terry Gou win the presidency? So the result of the elections next year may possibly be: Terry Gou loses, wasting a big chunk of money and efforts ; while Taiwan People's Party wins a  few seats in the Legislative Yuan and become, possibly, the third largest Party, with Ko in full control.

Consequently, by teaming up with Mayor Ko, Terry Gou not only becomes Ko’s stepping stone, he also fails to fulfill his own goal of saving the country by interfering with the politics. 

Chairman Gou's sense of investment in business has always been very precise. But politics is a totally different game. You cannot insist on going your way against public opinion and moral values.

The loss of money causes little harm. But the loss of reputation will make you regret for life.

 

From: https://udn.com/news/story/7338/4013918

Terry Gou vs. Han Kuo-yu.
(Photo from: The Storm Media)

Han Kuo-yu’s Predicament And The Terry Gou Effect

By Hsia Chen

The Storm Media, August 30, 2019

Counting 135 days to the presidential election, the Kuomintang (KMT), which won the nine-in-one election last year, has plunged now into a state of collective anxiety. The opinion polls for the KMT presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu, vary. But all point to a falling trend! Businessman Terry Gou, who lost in the KMT primary, appeared "bullish." But to what extent? no one can tell.

 

The KMT is a political party with peculiar power. It always has a great capacity to create its own predicament. However, Han cannot lay his predicament to the KMT. He has himself to shoulder most of the responsibilities. In fact, Han wrote a beautiful page when winning Kaohsiung mayor. But when he decided to run for President, it doomed him to bear overwhelming torment. As Lee Chia-fen, Han's wife, remarked on the KMT primary, “You feel bad after being stabbed at the back," which illustrates that she is also one force pushing Han into a predicament.

 

Han is a "political (election) hyperactive kid." On the rally stage, he is like a fully charged battery bunny. But he lacks patience in the narration of policy matters. He voices "civilian language," but he just releases his fast tongue without providing details.  Such as speaking of moving the Capital; working two or three days from Kaohsiung when elected president; and recently restarting the 4th nuclear power plant.  All sound hollow. Even the Youth Support Policy press conference was upended by his frivolous remarks: "A phoenix flies away and in fly a bunch of chickens."

 

The "Han Wave" helped Han's election, but it caused Han to overlook a crucial reality: the election of the mayor and the president are of different levels. The polls on the vision and expectation of the mayor and the president are not the same. Han can't resent some polls questioning his electability.  After all, elected Mayor for merely eight months, he has not amassed enough evidence to prove that he is capable of the heavy responsibility of the presidency.

 

The antagonists pick faults and ridicule Han so much so they spread malicious rumors. For example, they make it up that Han graduated from university night school. President Tsai Ing-wen is also under scrutiny of her doctoral dissertation and academic qualifications. They alleged that she did not take the exam and the re-issued graduation certificate is a phony. Han and Tsai both endure the same strict scrutiny.

 

Take another case, Lee Chia-fen's controversial farmhouse, ended by selling to a third party at a low price. In retrospect, the Preside of the Legislative Yuan, Su Jiaquan, who was accused owning illegal farmhouse when he run as the vice president for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), donated it all, but he lost the election all the same. Lee Chia-fen was lucky enough to get rid of the farmhouse shortly, but whether it can end the controversy? One can not be optimistic about it.

 

The election is like in a bloody slaughterhouse. Lee Chia-fen complained that "the KMT rendered no help." But look back at the nine-in-one election, it was exactly the party's inability to help, created "atypical Han wave." Han declined the participation of party leaders in the rallies. Today, without his asking would any leader venture to campaign with him? After all, Han is the commander-in-chief. The core force of the general election can only come from Han. Han cannot expect the debt-ridden KMT, its leaders and the mayors to provide personnel or resources to run his election campaign.

 

The KMT passed for the first time a measure: open criticize the presidential candidate will be subjected to party discipline. In this presidential election, KMT and DPP jointly made history: "Prosecution for criticizing Tsai; Party discipline for smearing Han." 

 

If Terry Gou or Wang Jin-pyng, former speaker of the Legislative Yuan, is to run as an independent candidate, no discussion needed, party discipline served, period. Han virtually needs not to worry about the election factors beyond his control. First, his predicament has nothing to do with Gou. Regardless of whether Gou finally took part in the election, all the attacks against Han will continue, and his weaknesses continue in existence.

 

Second, even if Gou would ignore the honorary KMT badge recently received, most of the KMT officials will not forgo political future to side with Gou. Particularly for those legislator candidates, the only reward is revocation of their nomination. The greatest support the KMT can provide Han is for every legislator to take good care of his own elections, the county magistrates and mayors maintain their base with political achievements and reputation, and the KMT Central Committee presents a list of legislators at large, that is not less shining than that of DPP, to uphold the KMT image and secure the votes of supporters.

 

To dissolve the "Gou effect", it is up to Han himself, not the KMT. He has already the "national advisory group" or the " cabinet-to-be team" in place. Even without the support of Gou and the KMT in disarray, Han still got to show his force. The more concern about the "Gou effect" the more display of lack of momentum, which instead help raise the expectation for Gou of the swing voters, who are in neither the blue nor green camp. In the limited time left, the most important thing for Han is to stay focused and maintain a firm stance. Prove that he and his team are strong enough.

From: https://www.storm.mg/article/1650421

August 28: In order to reduce the impact of fewer mainland Chinese tourists, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced that it will strengthen tourism from Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia by means of government subsidies and will evaluate extending the visa waiver trial period for Thailand, the Philippines, and Russia from one year to two or three years.

August 29: The presidential campaign of Han Kuo-yu and the KMT caucus of the Kaohsiung City Council held a joint press conference, calling into question the former administration’s handling of the gas explosion in 2014. Allegations involve amending the usage regulations for donations such that the board of managers can pass and use the funds at its discretion. Former Mayor Chen Chu, who is currently secretary-general to the president, said that all money was used legally.

August 30: Senior Researcher David An of Global Taiwan Institute, a Washington-based think tank, was arrested by the FBI for failing to admit his receiving gifts from Taiwan’s National Security Bureau officials. Furthermore, he was found to have fabricated a lease to apply for a bank loan and is now criminally charged in a federal court in Washington.

August 30: KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang made a Facebook post advocating Eric Chu as presidential candidate Han Kuo-yu’s running mate. This call has earned the support of many within the KMT. Han responded with “Thank you everyone” on Facebook, while Chu reiterated that “I may not be the pivot of success, but I will be behind the success. We should not forget our initial calling, and only united will we succeed.”

August 30: Professor Emeritus De-fen Ho of National Taiwan University held a press conference, calling into question President Tsai Ing-wen’s doctoral degree from the London School of Economics. President Tsai responded that there is nothing to question about her academic degree. She does not understand why Ho raised such a controversy and will take legal action against her.

Taiwan Weekly is a newsletter released every week by Fair Winds Foundation, Taipei Forum, and Association of Foreign Relations that provides coverage and perspectives into the latest developments in Taiwan.

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