TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foxconn founder Terry Gou’s (郭台銘) meeting with Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) in Kinmen on Tuesday (May 30) caused media speculation about the pair collaborating on a presidential run, but when pressed on the issue on Wednesday, Gou said he could not remember the meeting.
“I was drinking last night, so I forgot everything I said,” Gou told reporters, per Storm Media.
After explaining away the importance of the meeting, Gou quipped that he may think about the collaboration again when he next drinks 132 proof Kaoliang liquor, a popular Kinmen export. When asked if he would make the same commitment to the Kuomintang's (KMT) candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜), Gou said he was in Kinmen to talk about Kinmen issues.
According to political scientist and Taiwan politics researcher Sung Wen-ti (宋文笛), Gou’s explanation is part of a bargaining strategy that allows him to plausibly deny supporting Ko, while gaining leverage with the KMT, the party who rejected him as its pick for presidential candidate.
“What do you do if you were Terry Gou, and wanted to get back at KMT, but without irrevocably hurting KMT voters' feelings?” Sung posited on Twitter on Wednesday.
“Well, why not flirt with the 3rd party guy to really make KMT's leadership panic, but use vague enough wording that seems like you're rendering support to Ko?”
Today reporters asked Terry Gou to confirm his 'undying love for Ko' remark.
Terry replied: "I was drunk last night, so I don't remember anything." (「昨天晚上是喝的有點茫茫的，所以講什麼都忘記了，回去睡一覺就忘記了。」)
So predictable. /15https://t.co/9XEbyvhSCA
— Wen-Ti Sung (@wentisung) May 31, 2023
Sung noted that Gou’s statements of “undying love” for Ko were reported as being overheard by those close by the conversation, not delivered directly by Gou or Gou’s aides. Sung said if KMT voters are upset by the comments, Gou can claim that they were heard out of context, that he was misrepresented, or as Gou himself said: he was drunk.
A survey released on May 29 showed Hou polling third behind Ko. "The 3rd party Ko is only happy to play along,” Sung said.
“If Terry's fans happen to misread Terry's intention and end up switching and increasing Ko's poll numbers by a point or two, helping him consolidate his lead over KMT, why not?” Sung added.
