TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Foxconn founder and prospective presidential Kuomintang (KMT) candidate Terry Gou (郭台銘) on Thursday (May 2) told reporters that Taiwan is a "part of China" and said that the "gods 100 percent agree with me."

While aboard a flight from Washington to Wisconsin on Thursday, a day after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Whitehouse, Gou told reporters that the gods were in agreement with him that "Taiwan is an inseparable part of China." He then called on Beijing to give Taiwan more space in the international arena.

With a statue of the sea goddess Matsu (媽祖) in his lap, Gou said, "From the perspective of the gods, we agree 100 percent that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China; but it is a nation of Chinese. That's why we should say that under the Chinese people there are two," reported Liberty Times.

Gou did not elaborate on what he meant by "two," but he said that Beijing should not suppress Taiwan's "living space on the international stage." Gou said that "without international space, Taiwan's leaders will not be able to conduct overseas visits, which will eventually lead to the destruction of the foundation of peace between Taiwan and China and impact stability," according to the report.



Gou with statue of sea goddess Matsu in his lap. (CNA photo)

He said that China should allow Taiwan to participate in international activities, otherwise, "such a hard line would have adverse effects."

He said that the issue was not limited to "whether Taiwan could wear a cap with a [Taiwan] flag on it," but also that Taiwan should join the World Health Organization and Interpol. Gou said that if Beijing does not find a solution to the problem with Taiwan, Taiwanese will not agree with the People's Republic of China.

In response, Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) at the Legislative Yuan this morning admonished the Foxconn founder to not confuse the global community. Prior to a meeting over the budget, Chen told reporters that "The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country and Taiwan has never been part of the People's Republic of China. Chairman Gou, please don't send the wrong message to the international community," reported Liberty Times.

When reporters asked Chen about Gou's taking of deities to the U.S. and his claim that the gods agree with him on the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, Chen said, "I cannot answer the question about the gods."