Foxconn founder says Apple business means China can't risk threatening him

Foxconn founder Terry Gou

Gou previously announced a run for Taiwanese president in 2019, and as part of that said that he would stepped down from running Foxconn.

According to Bloomberg, has now again announced his intention to run for the presidency and, speaking at the launch of his campaign in Taipei, denied China could put any pressure on him.

"I will not bow to China's threats," he said, adding that he doesn't take instructions from the government, and that he has "personal" assets in the country. He further said that were China to apply political pressure, it would hurt the country's manufacturing, and also major global pension funds.

"No foreign investor will dare to invest [in China]," he said, if supply chains for the likes of Apple, Tesla, Amazon, and Nvidia, were disrupted. He added that China's economy is currently in a "terrible" condition.

In a statement issued after Gou's remarks, Foxconn said that he "no longer participates in the daily management of the company."

The Taiwan presidential elections are scheduled for January 2024. Gou is currently one of four people campaigning for the post.

Prior to stepping down, Gou said in 2019 that he wanted Apple to move production from China and into Taiwan. "I am urging Apple to move to Taiwan," he said, because of the situation at the time regarding US tariffs on Chinese-made goods.