TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) boarded a flight and departed Taoyuan International Airport at 11:51 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 12).

The foreign trip is Tsai’s first since leaving office in May of this year. Tsai did not respond to questions from reporters nor accept interviews while transiting through the airport. Tsai only offered a smile and a wave to the local media assembled at the airport, per CNA.

Tsai’s eight-day itinerary includes the Czech Republic, where she is scheduled to attend Forum 2000, founded by late Czech President Vaclav Havel. The forum provides foreign leaders a platform to advance important causes such as democracy, human rights, and ethnic tolerance.

Tsai posted a message on her Facebook page, noting that she looks forward to deepening Taiwan-EU relations on her trip. She also hopes to convey “Taiwanese people’s determination to safeguard democracy and freedom.”

According to the Forum 2000 agenda, Tsai is scheduled to deliver the speech “Overcoming Authoritarian Threat through Democratic Unity” on Monday (Oct. 14). In the past, Tsai has spoken remotely at the annual Forum 2000 during her presidency in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Following her speech, Tsai is expected to meet with international partners to discuss the world’s most difficult challenges.

Taiwan representative offices in the European Union and Belgium confirmed that following an appearance at Forum 2000, Tsai will travel to Brussels, where she will visit the European Parliament and meet new members of the assembly.

Tsai's plan to visit London was canceled due to the British Foreign Office, which worried that such a visit could compromise Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s first official visit to China next week.