Peng Liyuan, wife of the Chinese President, attracts attention during her visit to the United States
Quick Look
- Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, attracted attention during her visit to the United States this week, where she met Melania Trump, wife of US President Donald Trump.
- Peng, a 63-year-old former singer in the Chinese People's Liberation Army, has been accompanying her husband on foreign tours for more than a decade and uses her role in health and welfare as part of Beijing's soft power.
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Why It Matters
Peng Liyuan is a former singer in the Chinese People's Liberation Army who married Xi Jinping in 1987. She has accompanied him on foreign tours for more than a decade and works in the fields of health and social care as part of Beijing's soft power strategy.
(CNN) - Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, caught attention during her visit, accompanied by her husband, to the United States of America this week, and her sessions with Melania Trump, wife of US President Donald Trump.
Peng is from Shandong Province in eastern China. She began receiving professional vocal training at the age of 16, then joined a military performing arts troupe when she was 20.
She was famous as a soprano singer for the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and she is also a singer of Chinese folk music.
Peng married Xi in 1987, and they both knew from their first meeting that they were "made for each other," Peng said in an interview with Chinese state media.
Peng, 63, has been accompanying Xi on his foreign tours since he took office more than a decade ago.
Her often bold fashion choices contrast with the more conservative attire worn by the wives of China's previous leaders, while her active role in health and social care has become part of the "soft power" tools Beijing seeks to project abroad.
The last joint trip between Xi and Peng to the United States was in 2015 during the Barack Obama administration. Peng also joined her husband in welcoming US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania at the Forbidden City Palace in Beijing in 2017, during Trump's first visit to China.
Open Questions
- What specific topics did Peng Liyuan discuss with Melania Trump during their meeting?
- Will Peng Liyuan continue to play a prominent role in Chinese diplomacy in future periods?
