The chartered China Airlines Boeing 747-400, carrying the president and his entourage of staffers, government officials, county chiefs, entrepreneurs and reporters, landed at San Francisco International Airport just before 2 p.m. January 8 after a 10 hour and 15 minute flight from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

Besides marking his first visit to San Francisco as president, Chen's arrival also marked his first transit stop on the continental United States since traveling through Miami in September 2005.

Chen was met at the airport by American Institute in Taiwan Chairman Raymond Burkardt, Taiwan representative in Washington D.C. David Lee and other Taiwan government officials and was promptly whisked away in a motorcade to the city's plush St. Regis Hotel.

According to a report by the Central News Agency, over 500 Taiwanese bused in for the occasion welcomed Chen at the hotel by waving flags and shouting "Go A-bian!"

A small group of red-clad opponents of the president, led by Chiang Fang Chih-yi (蔣方智怡), the daughter-in-law of late President Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), also greeted Chen with placards reading "Impeach A-bian" and other similar slogans near the hotel, but the two groups were kept separated by police and there were no reports of violence.

Chen received positive news later in the day with the announcement that his daughter-in-law, Huang Jui-chin (黃睿靚), had given birth to a daughter in Taipei.

A statement issued by the Office of the President said that Chen had "expressed great pleasure" upon hearing the news and that the president and first lady Wu Shu-chen (吳淑珍) had expressed "gratitude and appreciation" for the concern of citizens.

Forty minutes into the flight that left Taiwan at about 7:50 p.m. on Monday, the president came to the economy class section and shook hands and chatted briefly with the accompanying journalists.

Asked about his feelings, Chen told reporters that "I believe everyone is feeling happy."

A reporter for the China Times, which DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun (游錫<方方土>) recently announced was no longer welcome to cover news at the DPP headquarters, expressed her regrets to both Chen and Yu that she could not interview the latter.

Foreign Minister James Huang (黃志芳) later confirmed to reporters that Chen, who has been embattled at home in the wake of a series of alleged scandals among some of his staff and members of the extended first family, was in a good mood.

Moreover, Huang rebutted media reports that Taipei was disappointed with the arrangements for a stopover in San Francisco, stating that "San Francisco was our original goal from the beginning since the president has not yet visited San Francisco as president."

Shortly after his arrival at the St. Regis, Chen had a small dinner there with about 15 leaders of the Taiwanese community in San Francisco and personal friends and was also expected to meet with some U.S. politicians besides the AIT chairman, but presidential aides declined to provide further details due to an agreement with Washington that Chen's activities during the transit stop would not be made public.

However, one of the leaders of the Taiwan community said that, "former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry was here. He did not make a statement, but he did express his support."

A senior presidential staff member told the Taiwan News that the extremely short lead time for the president's decision, which was only finalized last Friday, prevented more elaborate arrangements.

Chen left San Francisco late last night Taiwan time and was scheduled to arrive in Managua, Nicaragua early this morning Taiwan time.

Besides attending the inauguration ceremony, Chen is slated to hold meetings with both outgoing Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos Geyer and Ortega and visit with Taiwanese volunteers and alternative service personnel working on Taiwan-funded assistance programs in health, agriculture and literacy.