Taiwan's independent presidential candidate Terry Gou wants to take action against Taiwan's aging population by handing out pets to families with newborn children.
The country's declining population has caused fears about the future of economic development as a talent shortage is expected. Businesses have sought to import more migrant workers, while entrepreneurs have stressed the need to attract foreign students and convince them to stay after graduation.
The billionaire, who is the founder and former chief executive of Foxconn, the world's largest electronics maker whose major customers include Apple, suggested that in the future, if a couple were to have a child, they should take an additional pet, while in the case of two children, two pets would be given.
Gou told attendees at a Taipei City temple that Taiwan's declining birthrate could be addressed by giving new parents a cat or dog. Adopting a pet in Taiwan does not require permission from the government.
The billionaire said that he had recently visited an animal shelter and thought that these two issues (animals and reducing the number of births) could be solved together.
"If there are no births in the future, who will take care of our furry friends?" he told reporters later. "So I have combined these two issues. You cannot expect me, one person, to propose a complete policy on every little issue. Adding and multiplying love, that is my goal.”
The proposal was criticized by some government politicians and animal welfare groups.
