Peng Liyuan, China's first lady, who has accompanied her husband to the United States this week, is no stranger to being in the spotlight.
She has been praised by both mainland and international media for her fashion sense on earlier state visits.
Her stylish outfits have led to her being compared with two other fashion icons– US first lady Michelle Obama and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, who is the wife of Britain’s Prince William.
Following her arrival in the US, she is set for a much-anticipated fashion face-off with her fellow first lady later this week.
Here we take a look at five key differences between the two fashion icons.
Peng Liyuan |
Michelle Obama |
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Peng, a Yuncheng county, Shandong native, joined the People’s Liberation Army when she was 18. She was one of the first people on the mainland to obtain a master’s degree in ethnic music at the China Conservatory of Music. Her vocal talents catapulted her to stardom as an army soprano, and she has given many singing performances across China and abroad
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Obama grew up with her older brother, Craig, in Chicago. Her father was a water plant operator, and her mother was a full-time housewife until her daughter went to high school. She went to state school, and later graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor's degree in sociology. She then attended Harvard Law School in 1988, where she earned a doctorate in law
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Peng Liyuan |
Michelle Obama |
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Aside from being the first lady of China and a singer, Peng is also the president of the People’s Liberation Army’s Academy of Art. She has since stepped down from public performances, but continues with her charity work |
After working as a lawyer, Obama began to work in public service and was associate dean at the University of Chicago. She then became vice-president for community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Centre before her husband’s inauguration |
Peng Liyuan |
Michelle Obama |
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Peng met her future husband, Xi Jinping, through a friend in 1986, and they were married in 1987. Peng is Xi’s second wife. They have a daughter named Xi Mingze, who was born in 1992, and has now returned to China after studying at Harvard University |
Obama met her husband, Barack Obama in 1989, while she was an associate at a law firm. They married in 1992; their daughters, Malia, born in 1998, and Sasha, in 2001, attend the same private school where former US presidents Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon sent their daughters |
Peng Liyuan |
Michelle Obama |
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The World Health Organisation appointed Peng as a goodwill ambassador in its campaign against tuberculosis and HIV/Aids in 2012. In 2014, Unesco named her as a special envoy to promote education for girls and women. She has also joined Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, in promoting World No Tobacco Day |
Obama launched the “Let’s Move!” campaign in 2010 to fight against childhood obesity. She has raised awareness for the need for higher education, and also spoken about empowering young women worldwide through a government-initiative called “Let Girls Learn” |
Peng Liyuan |
Michelle Obama |
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China’s first lady tends to wear tailored clothing, with clean lines on formal occasions. Internet users have praised her “elegant ensembles” and graceful outfits. The 52-year-old supports home-grown Chinese designers, such as Ma Ke, one of the founders of Exception de Mixmind, a largely unknown fashion brand until she sparked global headlines by wearing a sophisticated black overcoat and handbag on her first trip with Xi to Moscow in 2013 |
Her American counterpart is more experimental with her style – her clothes ranges from casual flirty dresses to off-the-shoulder ball gowns, and tailored trouser suits. The 51-year-old wears clothing mostly made by American designers, which include more affordable fashion retailers, such as J. Crew and Target, and the renowned designer Alexander McQueen |
