Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said that former Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海集團) chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) has approached him about the possibility of teaming up for the presidential election in January next year.
Ko is a former independent who earlier this month established the Taiwan People’s Party.
He had previously said that Gou — who lost to Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) by 17 percentage points in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) primary last month — could be the best presidential candidate.
Photo courtesy of Pop Radio
In an interview with Pop Radio talk show host Huang Wei-han (黃暐瀚) that was broadcast yesterday, Ko was asked whether he would run for president if Gou decided not to run.
Ko said that he never intended to run for president and the events he attends outside of Taipei are meant to help him learn about how government agencies’ affairs are conducted.
While his visits outside Taipei could be said to be “preparing for the eventuality” of running for president, he said he is searching for any reason not to run in next year’s election.
Ko said his ability to withstand great pressure is superior to Gou’s or KMT Legislator Wang Jin-pyng’s (王金平).
Wang served as legislative speaker for nearly 17 years.
In June, Wang announced that he would not participate in the KMT’s primary, but added that he “will run in the election come what may.”
Ko said that Gou suggested they should run together and offered to make him vice president doubling as the premier, but he refused the offer.
The Taipei mayor then compared himself and Gou to a lion and a tiger.
Wang is like a fox, and lions and tigers “get along” more, he said.
Gou spokesperson Amanda Liu (劉宥彤) yesterday said she was uncertain whether such a conversation took place between Gou and Ko.
As Gou has been overseas for the past two months, the probability that Gou would make promises during their first meeting was not high, Liu said.
To date, Gou has not yet prepared his campaign and all talk about partners or positions is conjecture, she said.
Gou is more concerned with how to define Taiwan amid the ongoing US-China trade dispute, she said.
He is not looking for power or fame and has said he would support anyone who could help realize his policies, as stated during the KMT primary, Liu said.
Meanwhile, a close aide to Wang, who asked to remain anonymous, said that Wang has never considered Ko as a running partner.
During their meeting on Aug. 5, Wang simply shared with Ko how he believes the country should be run, the aide said.
Additional reporting by Chen Jou-chen and Chen Yun
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