While the United States is more than a year away from presidential election season, a key election in the Asia Pacific is coming much sooner.
One of the richest people in Taiwan is now running for president.
Billionaire Terry Gou is best known as the founder of Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision.
The company assembles iPhones and other tech products as the world’s largest contract electronics maker.
This spring, Gou pursued the presidential nomination of Taiwan’s main opposition party— the right-wing KMT — but he lost out to a former policeman with a long career in law enforcement.
A third contender represents the Taiwan Peoples' Party, a retired doctor and former mayor of Taipei who said he favors self-rule for Taiwan but also wants dialogue with Beijing.
Taiwan’s campaign season still has more than four months to go. The presidential election is not until the middle of January.
The leading candidate is the nominee of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party — the party of incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen, who first won the election in 2016. He was re-elected four years later and is ineligible for a third term.
Lai Ching-te is the current vice president and the front-runner.
One recent opinion poll gave him 36% of the vote, which is about double his closest rival.
