Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd's (2317.TW) chairman is demanding a management role at Sharp Corp (6753.T) as part of an equity tie-up, stepping up the pressure on the Japanese TV maker to give him greater influence in the company in return for badly needed cash.

Debt-saddled Sharp has been in talks on a partnership that would give the Taiwanese company a 9.9 percent stake in the century-old Japanese firm. Hon Hai's Chairman Terry Gou visited Japan last week but unexpectedly left before a scheduled meeting with Sharp executives, fuelling uncertainty over the tie-up.

"If it was just a capital investment, why would I want it?" Gou told Taiwan's United Evening News in an interview. "I'm not a venture capitalist."

As its shares continue to plummet, Sharp is increasingly eager to get Gou to agree to the investment, arguing that deeper cooperation in small and large liquid crystal displays and other businesses can be settled at a later date.

Gou's comments, however, suggest he may leverage that desperation to win a bigger role when Sharp's president, Takashi Okuda, turns up in Taipei.