Stanton on Gou Tai-Ming Bill Stanton 20190417

Stanton on Gou Tai-Ming    Bill Stanton 20190417

I think it would be unwise to underestimate the potential threat of Gou Tai-Ming (Terry Gou) to Taiwan’s freedom and democracy. 

Ever since I first met him when I was Director of AIT, it has been clear to me that he is an egomaniac, is no friend of the United States (despite his recently discovered mutual love affair with Donald Trump), opposes Taiwan’s purchase of U.S. weapons which he has frequently described as expensive junk, and — like Ma Ying-Jeou — thinks Taiwan’s best defense against the possibility of a PRC attack is to maintain good relations with Beijing.

Gou’s animus toward the US partly stems from his early days when, as he told me, he had a business in Chicago where an employee sued him (for unstated reasons).  I gather he lost the lawsuit because he went into a rant about the perfidy of U.S. lawyers. He also said at the time we met (three occasions, as I recall, around 2010) that one of the other reasons he was opposed to setting up businesses in the United States was in effect because he was not treated regally as in other countries.  He said that usually other country presidents would greet him at the airport but in the U.S. he could not even get a meeting with the President.  His amour-propre was clearly offended.

Now it seems Trump, who has reportedly met with Gou twice in the White House, has apparently overcome that egoistic obstacle.  This helps explain why, according to friends who know, it was the White House itself that called AIT and told them to be sure Gou was invited to three events celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act: The April 15 Conference hosted by NTU and ICRT with the support of AIT, the AIT reception that evening, and the April 16 Prospect Foundation Conference.  

The AIT Director Brent Christensen spoke at all three events, and President Tsai spoke at the second and third. (I assisted in organizing the first event, attended the second, and moderated a panel at the third.)  

At all three events, Gou — who always wore a Tump-like red baseball cap with KMT insignia — seemed most interested in being surrounded by media who swarmed around him at every opportunity.  When other people were speaking, Gou seemed to spend most of his time looking at his cell phone. 

His main question at the first event, which Jim Moriarty answered, was in effect whether the US would interfere in the next Taiwan Presidential election and would it support whomever was elected.  Jim gave the obvious answer that the U.S. would always accept the democratically elected choice of the Taiwan people.  Gou said he felt reassured by the answer.

At the Prospect event, Gou’s only question came at the end of the opening panel discussion.  He asked:“Is the key to Taiwan's economic development in China or the U.S.? (Clearly, he thought the answer was China."

Hsiao Bi-Khim responded by saying that it was “not a matter of choosing one over the other,” that Taiwan wanted good economic relations with both, but also added that it was important to consider whether there were political conditions attached to the proffered economic ties.  Clearly dissatisfied with the answer, Gou then tried to enter into a one-on-one debate with Hsiao but the Prospect Foundation moderator of the panel and Prospect Chairman Mark Chen indicated the time for the panel session was up (which was the case), but they could continue the discussion privately.  Gou proceeded to shout that the title of the event was an “Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue,” and they were denying him a chance to respond and engage in dialogue.  He went on to shout criticism of Hsiao Bi-Khim for allegedly being "rude" because she "did not look at me in the eye when she answered my question."  As CNA later reported, Gou told the media, “She not only dared not face me, but also dared not face the Republic of China," and then “stormed out.”  Gou also, according to media reports, threatened that “I am going to tell the White House that this is what the DPP is like.  This is not a dialogue.  What is the point of me being here if this is just an echo chamber.”  Daniel Runde, Senior Vice President at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who was on the second panel which I moderated, said in his remarks that he had been deeply impressed by Hsiao and what she had to say, and that she did not deserve to be treated by Gou in that manner.

I have gone on at some length about Gou’s initial campaigning to be Taiwan’s President because I believe he is in effect Beijing’s choice to be Taiwan's President and conversations in Beijing were much more likely decisive in his decision to announce his candidacy today than the prayers he said he had made to the Goddess Matzu.  I do not believe Gou is a friend of the United States or even likes it very much, whatever Trump may think because of the promised plant in Wisconsin.  It is therefore even more troubling that in an opinion poll conducted on April 2 by Fount Media, “the tech tycoon tied for the top spot with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, both of whom had an approval rate of 33.1%, while President Tsai Ingwen trailed behind at 24.1% for the presidential election scheduled for January 2020.”

I think all friends of Taiwan should be very concerned, and those in the Forum with the ears of Washington insiders should dissuade them from the view that Gou is Taiwan's best hope.

1. I believe he is in effect Beijing’s choice to be Taiwan's President.

2. I do not believe Gou is a friend of the United States or even likes it very much.

3. It would be unwise to underestimate the potential threat of Gou Tai-Ming (Terry Gou) to Taiwan’s freedom and democracy.