TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foxconn Technology founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) is returning early from a tour of the United States to hold a news conference Wednesday (April 5).

While his original itinerary had him arrive in Taiwan on April 7, his schedule changed so he would speak to the media near Taoyuan International Airport Wednesday morning, the Liberty Times reported Tuesday (April 4).

The tycoon was likely to discuss the eight-day journey which took him to Washington, D.C., Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and to present his ideas for the future under the theme “Taiwan needs a fantastic CEO.” In speeches during his trip, he emphasized the role that technology and economic development should play in determining the future of the country.

Gou has been named as a contender for the Jan. 13, 2024 presidential election, with the hope he could return to the Kuomintang (KMT), the party he quit ahead of the previous election in 2020.

However, the main opposition party announced last month it would not hold a primary to select a candidate, but reach a consensus within party ranks. The change was thought to benefit New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), who was generally doing better in opinion polls than Gou and KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫).

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was scheduled to announce the official choice of its chairman, Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), as presidential candidate on April 12. Since he was the only contender to register, the ruling party did not conduct a primary. Outside the DPP and the KMT, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was likely to be the only other major candidate, though he most often polled third.

During Gou’s tour of the United States, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited New York on a stopover on her way to allies Guatemala and Belize. On Wednesday (April 5), she was scheduled to meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.