Foxconn’s CEO is headed to Wisconsin for a visit to the company’s controversial project where it is building a new facility. Terry Gou, who recently announced he’s stepping down as Foxconn’s CEO, is a candidate for the presidency of Taiwan.
Gou told Trump he would aim to be a peace-keeping leader of Taiwan if he won the presidency, and would still seek U.S. support for Taiwan should he become the self-ruled island’s president.
“If I am elected, I would be seeking to go to Washington,” Gou is quoted as having told Trump, adding the only reason he wouldn’t be able to do so would be because of the Chinese government.
Gou, who is need to politics, much like Trump was when he ran for the U.S. presidency in 2016, has said he will run under the pro-Beijing Kuomintang opposition party umbrella in Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province, to be taken back by force, if necessary.
Gou also says he will tell China to recognize the existence of the Republic of China, which is the official title of Taiwan, allowing it to continue to exist, says Yahoo News.
The Foxconn chief’s visit with the U.S. president ahead of a planned visit to Wisconsin, where Foxconn is building a display manufacturing plant as part of a $10 billion project. Although the plan promises to employ 13,000 local folks, the plan has been under fire as of late foa lack of progress.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has said that the state wanted to renegotiate the Foxconn deal which gives the company $4 billion in tax breaks and other incentives because the firm is not expected to reach its job creation goals for the state (13,000 jobs).
Foxconn initially announced the project at a 2017 event at the White House, alongside President Donald Trump.
Plans for the plant have changed over time, as it was first intended to be a TV display factory and then plans transitioned to the facility manufacturing displays for smartphones, infotainment systems, and other “niche products”.
In early 2019, Reuters reported that Foxconn would greatly scale back plans for production of displays of any kind in Wisconsin, instead it would focus on research and development.