Gou, Taiwan's richest person with a net worth of $7.6 billion according to Forbes, said he would join the already competitive race, and would take part in the opposition, China-friendly Kuomintang party's primaries.

His bid, which requires KMT approval, comes at a delicate time for cross-strait relations and delivers a blow to the ruling pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, which is struggling in opinion polls.

(Reporting By Yimou Lee; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Robert Birsel)