San Francisco:Former President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in San Francisco on Monday, marking the start of her week-long visit to the city, where she was warmly welcomed by hundreds of overseas Taiwanese.

According to Focus Taiwan, Tsai was accompanied by Taiwan's representative to the United States, Alexander Yui, and the head of Taiwan's San Francisco office, Wu Chih-hsiang. Upon arrival at her hotel, she greeted her supporters with waves, smiles, and high-fives as they chanted supportive messages. This trip marks her first visit to the United States since stepping down in May 2024 after completing two terms as president.

Tsai is scheduled to deliver the opening keynote speech at Stanford DEFCON's 2026 Technology and National Security Conference on Wednesday. The conference, organized by the Stanford Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, had previously announced her participation, expressing honor at welcoming her as the keynote speaker. Registration for the event is already full.

On Thursday, Tsai will participate in a forum focused on democracy, resilience, and global security. This event is organized by the Hoover Institution's Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region program and Stanford in Government, and it will be accessible exclusively to Stanford faculty and students.

Tsai expressed her gratitude for the warm reception in a Facebook post, accompanied by photos of her supporters. She highlighted her intention to use the visit to engage with friends and promote Taiwan's interests. Chuang Wen-kuan, one of the Taiwanese supporters at the hotel, expressed hope that Tsai's visit would enhance global understanding of Taiwan.

During her previous visit to Stanford University in 2015, Tsai attended a Taiwan-U.S. innovation and technology cooperation forum and delivered a speech. Throughout her presidency, she prioritized engaging with overseas students and young professionals, a commitment she continues on this trip. Tsai plans to return to Taiwan on October 11, Taipei time.