However, Ian Tsung-yen Chen, an assistant professor at the Institute of Political Science at National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung, raised doubts over how much Gou could gain for his presidential campaign from his meeting with Trump.
"Gou has recently received criticism and his online popularity in running for Taiwanese president is a bit on the decline, so the business titan definitely hopes to do something to counter that," Chen told Nikkei. "Meeting Trump is definitely good marketing for him, but how long will this effect last is another thing," he said.
Chen said he believes the meeting with Trump is more about Foxconn's investment in Wisconsin rather than focusing on the discussion of Gou's presidential bid, as Trump also has an election in 2020 and he does not want the Wisconsin project that he strongly endorsed to become a challenge.
"In this meeting, they both have their own agendas," Chen said. "They are both businessmen, so they will do things that are for good both sides' interests, and they will hope to have deals that are beneficial for both sides."