"Taiwan's political and economic situation has gradually turned from the prosperity of the past to the edge of a cliff," the 72-year old said Monday during a press conference announcing his candidacy.
"If we don't rein in from the precipice, we will fall into an abyss from which we cannot turn back."
Gou announced he is running as an independent candidate in the 2024 presidential election, which is a race that also includes New Taipei Mayor
To qualify, he will need to secure roughly 290,000 signatures with 45 days of completing his application, according to Taiwan's
During his announcement, he touted his decades of experience as an entrepreneur and a business leader as having afforded him the knowledge to improve the economy as well as bestowing upon him "a rich international perspective" that he will use to transform Taiwan into a key player in the new era of artificial intelligence.
"The future president of Taiwan needs insight into industrial development, an understanding of the world economic situation and, more importantly, the executive power to lead the people out of the predicament. This is the leadership that Taiwan's future president urgently needs. The era of 'entrepreneurs running the country' has come," he said.
Concerning deteriorating relations with
"Taiwan must never become
Hours prior to Gou's announcement, Taiwan's
On Saturday, it said 32 warplanes and nine ships had been detected near the island, with 20 aircraft having crossed the median line of the
"I implore all the people, give me four years," he said. "I promise that I will bring peace to the
Gou founded
The election is scheduled to be held in January.
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