Peng Liyuan’s trip to Washington: Demonstrating China’s “soft power” and the first lady’s diplomatic role

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) As Chinese leader Xi Jinping visits Washington, his wife Peng Liyuan plays the role of a "soft power" trump card, projecting a gentler and more approachable image of China.

After singing the Chinese folk song "Jasmine" at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art in Washington on Thursday, children in the choir greeted her: "Thank you, Mama Peng!"

中国驻美大使谢锋在社交平台X上强调了她的外交角色，并发布了一段彭丽媛为演出鼓掌的视频。

Xie Feng wrote that Peng Liyuan "encourages American teenagers to continue learning Chinese language and culture and become messengers of Sino-US friendship."

Joe Mazur, a geopolitical analyst at Beijing-based consulting firm Trivium China, told Reuters: "She has made diplomacy that might otherwise have seemed serious or even tough more approachable and created some pleasant moments in Sino-U.S. relations."

China's "First Lady" usually keeps a low profile

不过在中国社交媒体上，关于彭丽媛此行活动及着装风格的讨论受到严格限制。在中国，高层领导人个人生活等内容属于敏感话题。

Reuters reported that a search on the Chinese social platform "Little Red Book" about Peng Liyuan's dressing sense and English proficiency did not show any results.

过去几十年来，中国高层领导人的夫人们通常保持低调，这在一定程度上和毛泽东夫人江青过往经历有关。

During the Cultural Revolution, Jiang Qing moved from behind the scenes to the stage. Not only did she make frequent high-profile appearances, she also directly assumed important core positions in the CCP and became a major member of the "Gang of Four." 在文革结束后，江青在狱中自尽，中共将“夫人干政”总结为“导致国家政治动荡的重大教训之一”。此后几届领导人的夫人均在公众面前尽量保持低调。

"Peng Mama" among Chinese netizens

However, with Peng Liyuan becoming the "First Lady", this situation has changed. As China's most widely known soprano, she has also been given greater space in Chinese media coverage of her activities.许多中国网民也亲切地称她为“彭麻麻”（彭妈妈的谐音）。

"When he came home, I never felt like there was a leader in the house. In my eyes, he was just my husband," Peng Liyuan said in a 2007 interview with a state media outlet.她形容习近平生活简朴、工作勤奋且为人务实。

Reuters reports that Peng Liyuan has been committed to advocating for challenging social welfare undertakings such as paying attention to people living with HIV for many years.

Peng Liyuan was born in an ordinary family and joined the military art troupe because of her outstanding voice. Before marrying Xi Jinping, she was already a well-known singer in China.她是习近平的第二任妻子，两人育有一女（习明泽）。