Taiwan's former president Tsai Ing-wen arrives in US for Stanford lecture
In short
Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's former president, arrived in San Francisco on the evening of Oct 5 local time, Sankei Shimbun reported, citing Taiwanese media — her first visit to the United States since leaving office in 2024. She is to stay about a week and lecture at Stanford University on democracy and security. Japanese outlets earlier reported only that Taiwan's former president had arrived in the US and was to give a university lecture.
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Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's former president, arrived in San Francisco on the evening of Oct 5 local time, Sankei Shimbun reported, citing Taiwanese media. It is her first visit to the United States since she left office in 2024. Earlier the same day, Nishi-Nippon Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun reported in headlines that Taiwan's former president had arrived in the US and was to lecture at a university. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to Sankei, Tsai will stay about one week and lecture at Stanford University on democracy and security. The report said the aim of the visit is to seek international support for Taiwan. [ 3 ]
Tsai posted on Facebook about being welcomed by a large crowd at the airport, saying she wanted to meet many people in order to increase Taiwan's friends, Sankei reported. She visited Europe in 2024 and 2025 after leaving office, where she spoke about China's threat and the importance of democracy, the report said. [ 3 ]
The documents give no schedule beyond the Stanford lecture and do not say whether Tsai will meet US officials. Nishi-Nippon Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun carried only headline-level reports on the arrival, while the details of the trip come from Sankei's account, which cites Taiwanese media and Kyodo. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The trip is Tsai's first to the United States since she stepped down, and Sankei reported that the aim is to seek international support for Taiwan. Sankei also noted she used post-retirement visits to Europe in 2024 and 2025 to speak about China's threat and the importance of democracy, making the US visit part of the same pattern. The documents do not say whether any US officials will meet her.
Key facts
- Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's former president, arrived in San Francisco on the evening of Oct 5 local time, according to Sankei Shimbun, which cited Taiwanese media. [ 3 ]
- Japanese outlets reported she had arrived in the United States in her first such trip since leaving office. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- She is to stay about one week and lecture at Stanford University. [ 3 ]
- Sankei reported she will speak on democracy and security, and that the aim is to seek international support for Taiwan. [ 3 ]
- She said in a Facebook post that she was met by a large crowd at the airport and wanted to meet many people to increase Taiwan's friends, Sankei reported. [ 3 ]
- After leaving office she visited Europe in 2024 and 2025, where she raised China's threat and the importance of democracy, according to Sankei. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Her exact arrival time and the full schedule of the roughly one-week stay. Only Sankei, citing Taiwanese media, gives the arrival date; no document lists anything beyond the Stanford lecture.
- Whether she will meet US officials or government representatives. None of the documents mentions official meetings.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Nishi-Nippon Shimbun reports that Taiwan's former president has arrived in the US, in her first such trip after leaving office, and will lecture at a university. [ 1 ]
- Tokyo Shimbun carries the same report. [ 2 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reports that Tsai Ing-wen arrived in San Francisco on the evening of Oct 5 local time, will stay about a week and will lecture at Stanford University. [ 3 ]