Former Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen met Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco, a friendly signal for Taiwan at a time when US backing matters.

• Pelosi called Tsai a brave defender of democracy and a close friend of the United States.
• She said Congress still stands firmly behind Taiwan and its people.
• The meeting echoes Pelosi's 2022 trip to Taipei, the first by a US House speaker in 25 years, which angered Beijing.
• Tsai gave Pelosi a silk scarf by a young Taiwanese designer, themed on Taiwan as an ocean country.
• Tsai next heads to Stanford for a tech and national security conference, keeping her focus on security ties with US allies.

Outlook: Expect more of these unofficial US-Taiwan meetings, and expect Beijing to object to each one.