TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Terry Gou embarked on a U.S. trip on Sunday (July 30) amid wide speculation on his eventual participation in the 2024 presidential election as an independent candidate after returning from the 10-day visit.
Speaking to reporters at the Taipei Songshan Airport earlier that day, the business tycoon unveiled his plans to seek advice from strategic experts and some friends working at think tanks on maintaining cross-strait peace.
Referring to his last trip to the United States in March this year, Gou said it has only been over 100 days since then. Still, Taiwan's political and economic environment is already very different, he added.
He stressed that his goal is to share the genuine mainstream public opinion in Taiwan, which are "maintain peace, avoid war, and do not turn Taiwan into Ukraine," with friends in the United States, as a recent poll showed 60% of Taiwanese voters consider the only way to reduce cross-strait tensions is to take down the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the upcoming presidential election.
Gou said: "The established rules and regulations constrain some political parties in the opposition, while others are caught in the miscalculation of political attacks and defenses."
"As a result, we often see 'internal disputes' instead of constructive responses and actions toward prevailing public sentiment," he added.