https://www.scmp.com/rss/279468/feed Peng Liyuan is a popular Chinese folk music and opera singer and the wife of Chinese president, Xi Jinping. A native of Yuncheng County, Shandong, Peng was a finalist at the First National TV Chinese Vocal Contest and is best known for works including People from Our Village and On the Plains of Hope. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma US President Donald Trump said he would visit China from May 14 to May 15, including a meeting with President Xi Jinping, after delaying the trip by about six weeks because of the war on Iran. The new schedule is a day shorter than the original three-day visit that was due to start on March 31. China didn’t join the White House in announcing the trip. It rarely makes statements about planned visits more than a few days ahead of the arrival date. “I look very much forward to spending time with... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347988/trump-sets-new-china-visit-date-iran-war-stokes-economic-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347988/trump-sets-new-china-visit-date-iran-war-stokes-economic-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:00:29 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier Khushboo Razdan,Mark Magnier After weeks of speculation and behind-the-scenes intrigue over the delayed summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, the White House announced on Wednesday new dates for the long-anticipated, high-stakes meeting. “I’m pleased to announce that President Trump’s … long-awaited meeting with President Xi in China will now take place in Beijing on May 14 and 15,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. In a social media post, Trump described Xi as “the highly respected... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347914/xi-trump-summit-white-house-locks-new-dates-may?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347914/xi-trump-summit-white-house-locks-new-dates-may?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:46:14 +0000 Xinlu Liang Xinlu Liang When Elyn MacInnis first moved to Nanjing in the late 1980s, she was greeted by a wholly unexpected connection. Local elderly residents would look at the American newcomer, pause and tell her she resembled Minnie Vautrin: a middle-aged woman with round glasses and centre-parted hair often pinned up. MacInnis, who goes by the Chinese name Mu Yanling, knew the name only vaguely then. Vautrin was an American missionary who led Jinling Women’s College during the Nanking massacre, in the city now... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336246/how-american-familys-wartime-bond-china-bringing-countries-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336246/how-american-familys-wartime-bond-china-bringing-countries-together?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 14:00:09 +0000 Fan Chen Fan Chen China has rolled out the red carpet for King Maha Vajiralongkorn on the Thai monarch’s first official visit to Beijing, a trip to mark the 50th anniversary of ties between the two countries. The king arrived in the Chinese capital on Thursday afternoon and was greeted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The state visit, set in motion by an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping, makes China “the first major country” the Thai king has visited officially since ascending the throne in 2016,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332691/china-rolls-out-red-carpet-first-official-visit-thailands-king-maha-vajiralongkorn?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332691/china-rolls-out-red-carpet-first-official-visit-thailands-king-maha-vajiralongkorn?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:19:57 +0000 Igor Patrick Igor Patrick Brazil’s first lady on Monday defended remarks she made about short-video app TikTok during a state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a move that departed from diplomatic convention and sparked furore in the South American country. Acknowledging that she broke protocol during President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s visit to Beijing last week, Rosangela “Janja” da Silva said she “will not be silenced” when the safety of children is at stake. The remarks she uttered in Beijing prompted an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3310985/amid-furore-brazils-first-lady-defends-tiktok-remarks-china-state-dinner-hosted-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3310985/amid-furore-brazils-first-lady-defends-tiktok-remarks-china-state-dinner-hosted-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2025 22:15:56 +0000 China’s first lady has urged Macau students to develop a strong understanding of local and national history as well as to serve the country, during a visit to mark the city’s 25th anniversary of its return to Chinese administration. Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, paid a visit to the Macau Museum on Thursday, her second day in the city for the celebrations and the inauguration of the new administration. She spent around 45 minutes inside the museum near Macau’s famed Ruins of... https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3291606/chinas-first-lady-calls-macau-students-embrace-heritage-serve-community-and-nation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/article/3291606/chinas-first-lady-calls-macau-students-embrace-heritage-serve-community-and-nation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Dec 2024 13:14:34 +0000 Malaysia will work with China to keep peace in the South China Sea, Malaysia’s king told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, according to mainland state media on Friday. Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar made the pledge during his visit to Beijing in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations, the first trip to China by a Malaysian monarch in 10 years. Sultan Ibrahim was received by Xi at a welcome ceremony before the meeting on Friday at the Great Hall of the People. “Malaysia... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3279402/malaysian-king-tells-xi-jinping-it-will-work-china-keep-peace-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3279402/malaysian-king-tells-xi-jinping-it-will-work-china-keep-peace-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:50:38 +0000 The optics were more low-key for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s meeting with his US counterpart Joe Biden at a country estate just outside San Francisco on Wednesday, six years after his last visit to the United States. Xi’s host for that visit in April 2017 was Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump, who welcomed the Chinese leader to his Mar-a-Lago private club in Florida less than three months after taking office. The bridge-building summit was loaded with personal touches and warm moments,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3241822/different-mood-xi-breaks-ice-biden-san-francisco-six-years-after-mar-lago-and-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3241822/different-mood-xi-breaks-ice-biden-san-francisco-six-years-after-mar-lago-and-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Nov 2023 13:57:04 +0000 When I woke to the news of Jiang Zemin’s death, I felt as if I had lost a member of my own family – that’s what happens when one dedicates years to writing a biography. Jiang loved learning and speaking foreign languages – he had decent knowledge of English, Russian and Romanian, and familiarity with others – and he enjoyed surprising foreigners with his skills. Some may have mocked Jiang’s showboating, but languages enhanced his cross-cultural sense. At a private dinner, Jiang announced that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3202126/history-will-be-kind-meticulous-and-curious-jiang-zemin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3202126/history-will-be-kind-meticulous-and-curious-jiang-zemin?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Dec 2022 05:30:10 +0000 Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has returned to the diplomatic stage after a three-year absence, with poverty alleviation and environmental protection on her agenda. As Xi engaged in a flurry of diplomacy at last week’s Group of 20 summit in Bali and the Apec meeting in Bangkok, Peng – a soprano and famous folk singer – attended events held alongside those gatherings. It was her first in-person diplomatic engagement outside China since the coronavirus pandemic began – Peng... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3200451/peng-liyuan-joins-diplomatic-whirl-first-overseas-trip-pandemic-began?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3200451/peng-liyuan-joins-diplomatic-whirl-first-overseas-trip-pandemic-began?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Nov 2022 14:00:19 +0000 China’s first lady Peng Liyuan has hosted her Indonesian counterpart Iriana Joko Widodo during a display of soft power in Beijing, with the pair watching a folk music performance together. Peng, a famous folk singer herself, met Iriana at the Diaoyutai State Guest House on Tuesday, with Peng describing China and Indonesia as “important neighbours”, according to state broadcaster CCTV. “Friendship between the two countries has a long history,” Peng was quoted as saying during the meeting. “We... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3186760/chinese-indonesian-first-ladies-watch-folk-music-performance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3186760/chinese-indonesian-first-ladies-watch-folk-music-performance?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jul 2022 09:00:21 +0000 The absence of a Chinese official at the recent funeral of assassinated Japanese political icon Shinzo Abe was a telling reminder of the state of relations between the countries. Many nations sent representatives to the private ceremony. Taiwan’s vice-president was also controversially there, but China said it received no invitation from Tokyo. However, President Xi Jinping sent his condolences to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and his wife, Peng Liyuan, did likewise for widow Akie... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3185495/china-japan-relations-require-greater-care?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3185495/china-japan-relations-require-greater-care?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jul 2022 15:18:29 +0000 An unprecedented security blanket involving elite bodyguards, a 50-strong motorcade, ballistic briefcases and machine guns has been thrown around Hong Kong for President Xi Jinping’s visit for the 25th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule, the Post has learned. Security was raised to the maximum when Xi, 69, and his wife Peng Liyuan, 59, arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday for the two-day trip to mark the handover anniversary as authorities mobilised all law enforcement agencies to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3183726/ballistic-briefcases-machine-guns-and-bulletproof-sedan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3183726/ballistic-briefcases-machine-guns-and-bulletproof-sedan?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 15:26:26 +0000 China’s first lady Peng Liyuan charmed young Hong Kong performers during a visit to the city’s complex for Chinese theatre on Thursday, where she was also treated to a brief Cantonese opera show. An accomplished folk singer and a household name in mainland China, Peng visited the Xiqu Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District while her husband, President Xi Jinping, met the city’s political elites, including outgoing leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, on the other side of the harbour. Peng’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3183725/chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-charms-young-hong-kong-opera?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3183725/chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-charms-young-hong-kong-opera?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 15:01:18 +0000 Hong Kong placed sections of its business district under strict lockdown on Thursday, together with a tech hub and a high-speed rail terminus, as part of a two-day visit by President Xi Jinping to mark the 25th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule. Barricades were deployed earlier in the day around the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, with police patrolling the surrounding areas, hours before Xi arrived in the city at 3pm. Soon after his arrival at the venue,... https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-25/politics/article/3183719/lockdowns-lion-dance-and-red-carpet-how-hong-kong-welcomed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/hong-kong-25/politics/article/3183719/lockdowns-lion-dance-and-red-carpet-how-hong-kong-welcomed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 13:48:38 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to be accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan during his two-day visit to Hong Kong this week, the Post has learned. But she will not join Xi on his tour of the Hong Kong Science Park in Tai Po after the pair’s expected arrival in the city on Thursday at the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus. A government source said Peng was likely to visit the Xiqu Centre for Chinese opera next to the railway station at the junction of Canton Road and Austin Road... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3183495/chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-expected-join-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3183495/chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-expected-join-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jun 2022 07:59:45 +0000 The American performing arts conservatory Juilliard School has inaugurated its first overseas campus in China, receiving congratulations from First Lady Peng Liyuan and China’s foreign vice-minister in a sign that Beijing is pushing music diplomacy. The institution in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin is the first to offer US-accredited music degrees in mainland China and has been operating since October last year. Its campus was officially inaugurated last week. Xie Feng, the foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3154493/music-diplomacy-hopes-us-china-harmony-voiced-launch-juilliard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3154493/music-diplomacy-hopes-us-china-harmony-voiced-launch-juilliard?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Nov 2021 13:37:12 +0000 Joe Biden will make his first presidential trip overseas this summer. The US president will visit the UK to attend the 47th G7 summit, as well as engaging in conversations with European Union leaders in Brussels and a highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The trip will also include a visit, accompanied by his wife Dr Jill Biden, said to be friendly with Prince Harry – to the British royal family, meeting the queen on June 13. Opinion | 8 reasons to cut Meghan Markle... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3136788/jill-biden-meets-queen-elizabeth-what-did-first-ladies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3136788/jill-biden-meets-queen-elizabeth-what-did-first-ladies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jun 2021 23:00:00 +0000 The Cambodian royal family has just released the graduation photos of Princess Norodom Pongsoriya, where she poses with her certificate from China’s University of International Business and Economics. These photos prove Bhutan’s new Crown Prince is cuter than baby Archie Complimentary comments have been posted on social media calling her one of the world’s most beautiful princesses, and praising her fashion sense.         View this post on... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3094344/who-princess-norodom-pongsoriya-beautiful-gen-z?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3094344/who-princess-norodom-pongsoriya-beautiful-gen-z?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jul 2020 04:53:03 +0000 According to Hurun’s Global Rich List 2018, Beijing is the “billionaire capital of the world”. China impresses not only through astounding growth in wealth (the country recently added 210 new billionaires to its ultra-high net-worth individuals list) but also through the number of female billionaires: out of 184 self-made female billionaires in the world, 78 per cent are from China. Stats and commentary indeed demonstrate Chinese women are driven to work in high-powered jobs, they drive forward... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3035876/how-female-chinese-billionaires-keep-luxury-sales-dior?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3035876/how-female-chinese-billionaires-keep-luxury-sales-dior?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Nov 2019 04:00:07 +0000 One of the public’s favourite pastimes is dissecting the wardrobes of women in seats of power, passing equal scrutiny on both the wives of leaders or those in office themselves. And whether interpreting the political statements inherent in a fancy frock is fair play or just fun and games, the subtext is fascinating – here’s our take on six women who know that their fashion statements are exactly that. Melania Trum p You’d think America’s first lady would hold an edge, having worked as a fashion... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3030998/melania-trump-carrie-symonds-carrie-lam-what-can-we?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3030998/melania-trump-carrie-symonds-carrie-lam-what-can-we?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Oct 2019 04:00:14 +0000 Fireworks lit up the night sky over Tiananmen Square on Tuesday evening, forming “70” and “Long live the people”, as more than 60,000 people from all walks of life took centre stage for a gala show. It was the grand finale in a day of events in Beijing marking China’s 70th anniversary – a show of pride and patriotism over the country’s rapid rise. Director Zhang Yimou, the filmmaker who oversaw a spectacular show in 2008 to open the Beijing Olympics, started the evening with a bang. Fireworks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3031160/chinas-national-day-celebrations-end-fireworks-singing-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3031160/chinas-national-day-celebrations-end-fireworks-singing-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Oct 2019 16:36:58 +0000 China’s Geely Automobile Holdings has used a stock exchange filing to try and quash rumours its billionaire owner’s success is tied to political connections. In a disclosure statement made to the Hong Kong bourse dated Monday, Geely revealed details of the holdings of its chairman and top investor Li Shufu, who has made a spate of eye-catching global autos investments over the past decade. While the scope of Li’s investment in the Hangzhou-based carmaker was well known, the name of his wife... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2169015/geely-auto-reveals-name-founders-wife-dispel-rumours-links-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2169015/geely-auto-reveals-name-founders-wife-dispel-rumours-links-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Oct 2018 13:18:02 +0000 The wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rarely makes public appearances, but Ri Sol-ju, a former singer and the young wife of Kim, accompanied her husband on a two-day visit to Beijing. She was filmed throughout her stay in at least three outfits. Let’s take a look at her style in comparison with China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan.  Kim Jong-un wife’s fashion sense a hit with China’s public Ri went for an all cream outfit for a classic look, while Peng stirred things up a little with a print... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2139486/first-lady-fashion-when-kim-jong-uns-wife-and-first-lady?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2139486/first-lady-fashion-when-kim-jong-uns-wife-and-first-lady?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Mar 2018 09:30:30 +0000 The wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the world-renowned Juilliard School for the performing arts in the United States. Peng Liyuan – a soprano and popular folk singer – was presented with the degree at the China Conservatory of Music on Wednesday, the Beijing-based school said on Friday. China’s power couple Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan celebrate 30th wedding anniversary “This honour is not given to me alone, it is also a recognition of Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2123868/julliard-gives-honorary-doctorate-peng-liyuan-wife-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2123868/julliard-gives-honorary-doctorate-peng-liyuan-wife-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2017 12:00:15 +0000 Melania Trump, the wife of the US president, made several floral sartorial nods to her host country on the couple’s trip to China, culminating in an opulent Chinese-style embroidered qipao by Gucci for a state dinner on Thursday night. Looking every stiletto inch the ex-model, Trump sported a black floor-length dress stitched with brightly coloured flowers and a phoenix, a symbol of an emperor’s wife in imperial China. The dress’s sleeves were trimmed in pale pink fur, a look that combined... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2119336/melania-trump-takes-floral-fashion-diplomacy-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2119336/melania-trump-takes-floral-fashion-diplomacy-new?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2017 09:52:06 +0000 China’s first lady Peng Liyuan’s iconic style has been coined by fans as the “Liyuan-style” fashion. US President Donald Trump’s visit to China was no exception. Peng opted for an elegant ensemble of a structured jacket matched with an embroidered cheongsam, and a sheer black evening dress with a mandarin collar during Trump’s China tour. Meanwhile, US first lady Melania Trump turned out in statement pieces, including a Dolce & Gabbana floral maxi dress and an embroidered Gucci dress with fur... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2119342/six-signature-ways-chinas-first-lady-fashions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2119342/six-signature-ways-chinas-first-lady-fashions?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2017 09:15:00 +0000 China’s glamorous first lady Peng Liyuan let Hong Kong’s new leader, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, steal the show as Lam pulled out all the stops to dress to impress on her first day on the job. Peng, clad in a long-sleeved, charcoal grey cheongsam, stayed out of the limelight as she wrapped up her first official visit to Hong Kong with her husband, President Xi Jinping, on Saturday. Lam, in contrast, had four outfit changes in the span of six hours to match each event that marked her first day as... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2100869/new-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-dresses-impress-first-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2100869/new-hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-dresses-impress-first-day?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jul 2017 09:45:45 +0000 Parents of children at a kindergarten in Hong Kong’s upscale Kowloon Tong neighbourhood were in for a surprise when China’s first lady dropped by on Thursday – though some of the young ones were not quite sure who she was. Yau Yat Chuen School in Kowloon Tong was one of the stops Peng Liyuan made as she joined President Xi Jinping on his three-day visit to the city. She chatted with the children, and praised and kissed them; they entertained her with a performance, conversing with her in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2100550/chinas-first-lady-steps-out-style-first-official-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2100550/chinas-first-lady-steps-out-style-first-official-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jun 2017 06:18:16 +0000 China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan’s wardrobe choice takes the spotlight every time she makes a public appearance. The former folk singer arrived in Hong Kong today for a three-day visit with her husband, President Xi Jinping: Peng wore an elegant ensemble featuring a printed beige jacket and light camel skirt. The statement jacket features subtle Chinese motifs, such as the mandarin collar and origami-looking front. Here are some of her most glamorous style moments to date. Something blue It seems... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2100492/how-chinas-first-lady-fashions-diplomacy-signature?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people-events/article/2100492/how-chinas-first-lady-fashions-diplomacy-signature?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jun 2017 03:30:15 +0000 When first lady Peng Liyuan joins her husband, President Xi Jinping, on a visit to Hong Kong to mark the 20th anniversary of the handover, she will not be a stranger to such festivities. The well-known soprano has performed at two previous celebrations – in 2004 and 2007. At the 2004 concert held for the seventh anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China, she sang the famous tune My Motherland, a moving tale of a Chinese soldier fighting for his country and pining for his home and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2099915/xi-jinpings-wife-peng-liyuan-add-dash-glamour-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2099915/xi-jinpings-wife-peng-liyuan-add-dash-glamour-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jun 2017 00:32:22 +0000 China’s first lady Peng Liyuan has been re-elected as a vice-chairwoman of the country’s government sanctioned top body for artists and writers. The national committee of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles met last week and elected Peng and 21 other writers and artists as deputy chairmen and women of the organisation, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported. Tie Ning, an author and long-time chairwoman of the China Writers Association, was elected chairwoman of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2051821/chinas-first-lady-re-elected-vice-chairwoman-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2051821/chinas-first-lady-re-elected-vice-chairwoman-government?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Dec 2016 07:54:23 +0000 The village official smiles apologetically as he shepherds me gently away from the family home of China’s most famous woman, diplomatically suggesting we visit another time. “Of course, we are very proud of her and would love to show you around,” he tells me courteously a few minutes later in the village Communist Party office. “But we’ve had instructions from county officials to keep a low profile and not to let people come here uninvited.” I am in Peng village – the childhood home of Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1880137/humble-hometown-hesitant-talk-about-peng-liyuan-chinas-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1880137/humble-hometown-hesitant-talk-about-peng-liyuan-chinas-first?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Nov 2015 04:15:00 +0000 First lady Peng Liyuan is helping to stage a revival of a folk tale opera based upon peasantry struggle and said to be among Mao Zedong's favourites, a local news portal reports. The White-Haired Girl was scheduled to premiere yesterday in Yanan , the revolutionary base of the Communist Party, in Shaanxi province, according to Cnwest.com The troupe will then take the show around the nation, with 21 performances slated in 10 cities. READ MORE: Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan’s charm offensive wows... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1876420/wife-chinese-president-peng-liyuan-helps-revive-mao-era-opera?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1876420/wife-chinese-president-peng-liyuan-helps-revive-mao-era-opera?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Nov 2015 15:45:45 +0000 If President Xi Jinping's state visit to Britain has not entirely bought over its preternaturally critical press, the first lady, Peng Liyuan , struck all the right notes on Fleet Street. The Daily Mail described her as "the glamorous 52-year-old", while The Daily Telegraph positively swooned over her. "A master in the art of diplomatic dressing," the newspaper wrote, "Madame Peng is not just holding her own, but helping to define the new world-facing image of China." READ MORE: Chinese first... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1873544/soft-power-chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-has-again-shown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1873544/soft-power-chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-has-again-shown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Oct 2015 17:29:24 +0000 The appearances of Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan in her tailored suits and gowns left Britain’s press swooning – describing her as “graceful”, “stunning”, “sophisticated”, “glamorous” and “chic” – during President Xi Jinping’s four-day state visit to the United Kingdom last week. The Daily Telegraph called her “a master in the art of diplomatic dressing”, describing the blue silk coat-dress she wore to the state banquet in Buckingham Palace as “the height of restrained elegance”. The blue gown... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1871688/chinese-first-lady-peng-liyuans-charm-offensive-wows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1871688/chinese-first-lady-peng-liyuans-charm-offensive-wows?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Oct 2015 12:30:15 +0000 China’s popular first lady Peng Liyuan further raised her public profile today when she became the first Chinese presidential spouse to attend a massive military parade alongside her husband on the Tiananmen rostrum today. President Xi Jinping and his first lady, who wore a striking red dress and heels, greeted all foreign guests at an area north of Tiananmen Square around 9am.  After a group photo, the couple led the guests to Tiananmen Square to await the start of the parade. Since the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1854719/first-lady-indeed-peng-liyuan-chinas-first-presidential?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1854719/first-lady-indeed-peng-liyuan-chinas-first-presidential?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2015 09:15:30 +0000 Few mainlanders had heard of the home-grown designer brand Exception until first lady Peng Liyuan grabbed headlines by wearing a sophisticated black coat and handbag by the company during her maiden overseas trip with President Xi Jinping two years ago. Peng's preference for domestic designer brands has been a great encouragement for China's apparel industry, which largely consists of agents for foreign brands and companies dedicated to copying Western lines. But Mao Jihong, president of Mixmind... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1771337/exceptional-rise-mixmind-empire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1771337/exceptional-rise-mixmind-empire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2015 13:00:57 +0000 A rare video depicting the relationship between President Xi Jinping and his celebrity wife, Peng Liyuan, has attracted 150 million views in the nearly three weeks since it was posted online, a sign of the profound change in the public face of the leadership since Xi took power two years ago. Called Xi Dada Loves Peng Mama, the music video, which runs 3 minutes and 21 seconds, consists of a collection of 33 photos and two illustrations of the couple, showing small details like eye contact... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1656985/video-tribute-first-couple-shows-shift-xi-jinping-image-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1656985/video-tribute-first-couple-shows-shift-xi-jinping-image-push?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2014 23:00:03 +0000 What to wear when visiting the country widely seen as Asia's fashion trendsetter? For China's first lady, the answer was a number of outfits. Instead of a modified-cheongsam look, Peng Liyuan chose for her first outfit a cropped beige jacket with dolman sleeves on top of a aquamarine top, with a black pencil skirt, black pumps, and black clutch. "Quite nice!" said William Tang, one of Hong Kong's best known fashion designers. "However, the jacket is too overwhelming. If the jacket and skirt were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1546085/peng-makes-splash-fashion-savvy-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1546085/peng-makes-splash-fashion-savvy-seoul?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2014 21:45:00 +0000 As a young graduate in her 20s, Angela Zhou loved to buy discounted Chanel and Louis Vuitton items at end-of-season sales. But when she found success in her 30s as one of the mainland's top luxury yacht brokers, she could finally afford to buy the priciest items. Each time she closed a sale on a multimillion-dollar yacht, Zhou would treat herself to a dress from a famous design house. Then, last year, the sight of first lady Peng Liyuan appearing elegant and confident in mainland-designed and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1519808/how-first-lady-peng-liyuan-boosted-business-chinas-bespoke-tailors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1519808/how-first-lady-peng-liyuan-boosted-business-chinas-bespoke-tailors?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 May 2014 15:45:15 +0000 Ever since Peng Liyuan dazzled the public on her first official appearance as China’s first lady a year ago, the former military singer's every movement, speech and choice of apparel has been closely watched by fans as well as analysts. And the latest social media craze about Peng among China’s online community is, “what cellphone is she using?” On Saturday, a picture of Peng snapping photos with a white mobile phone emerged on the internet, prompting curious internet users to speculate over... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1461006/nubia-not-iphone-chinese-first-lady-peng-liyuans-latest-choice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1461006/nubia-not-iphone-chinese-first-lady-peng-liyuans-latest-choice?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2014 09:15:00 +0000 Unesco named first lady Peng Liyuan as a special envoy to promote education for girls and women, as President Xi Jinping visited the organisation's Paris headquarters last night. The appointment will raise her profile on the international stage and renew focus on an issue the country has grappled with. Xi, accompanied by Peng and a Chinese delegation, visited the organisation - of which China is a founding member in 1946 - on the last day of his three-day tour in France. It was the first visit... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1458413/unesco-names-peng-liyuan-its-ambassador-girls-and-womens-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1458413/unesco-names-peng-liyuan-its-ambassador-girls-and-womens-education?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Mar 2014 05:30:30 +0000 The visit to China by Michelle Obama has thrust "first lady diplomacy" and questions about gender to the forefront of the nation's attention. Obama yesterday wrapped up a week-long trip to China by feeding a panda before having a yak-based lunch at a Tibetan restaurant. Comparisons between Obama and Peng Liyuan , the glamorous singer-wife of Xi Jinping , began the moment they kicked off a ceremony at a Beijing high school last Friday. The women, both in their early 50s, had successful careers... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1457572/fashion-contest-focus-first-lady-diplomacy-during-michelle-obamas-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1457572/fashion-contest-focus-first-lady-diplomacy-during-michelle-obamas-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Mar 2014 02:38:26 +0000 Sensitive political issues will be far from US first lady Michelle Obama's agenda on her visit to China this week. Officials say she will focus on cultural exchange and relationship building when she meets her Chinese counterpart, Peng Liyuan, for the first time. The White House has released the full schedule of her week-long trip. Michelle Obama, with her two daughters and her mother in tow, will visit Beijing from tomorrow to Sunday. Obama and Peng - both highly popular in their countries -... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1451987/tourism-school-stops-dominate-michelle-obamas-china-itinerary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1451987/tourism-school-stops-dominate-michelle-obamas-china-itinerary?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Mar 2014 19:24:39 +0000 The new era of relations between China and the US promised when Xi Jinping and Barack Obama met in California last June has yet to materialise. Ties have cooled over tensions arising from rivalry, cyber issues, military operations, alliances and territorial disputes. The presidents have to be on better terms if there is to be a chance of building a new type of major power relationship. There is hope of that this month when first ladies Peng Liyuan and Michelle Obama meet in Beijing while their... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1451107/first-ladies-peng-liyuan-and-michelle-obama-can-show-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1451107/first-ladies-peng-liyuan-and-michelle-obama-can-show-way?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Mar 2014 20:45:15 +0000 US first lady Michelle Obama's visit to China - where she will meet her counterpart Peng Liyuan - later this month may help smooth strains between the two countries. Obama will visit Beijing, Xian and Chengdu with her daughters from March 19-26. Divisions between the US and Russia over Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine may partly explain why the White House chose this time to use "first lady diplomacy", said Jin Canrong , of Renmin University's School of International Relations. Hillary... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1439878/us-first-lady-michelle-obama-visit-china-late-march-white-house?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1439878/us-first-lady-michelle-obama-visit-china-late-march-white-house?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Mar 2014 23:30:30 +0000 A group of parents of gay and lesbian children has delivered a letter to China’s first lady Peng Liyuan, calling for legislation against gay discrimination and for increased tolerance of homosexuality. The letter, delivered by express mail, was signed for on Tuesday by a member of staff in People’s Liberation Army Academy of Arts, where Peng, a WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Tuberculosis and HIV/Aids, served as its rector. Earlier, China’s State Council AIDS Working Committee had announced that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1361178/parents-gay-children-urge-peng-liyuan-help-fight-gay-discrimination?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1361178/parents-gay-children-urge-peng-liyuan-help-fight-gay-discrimination?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2013 09:20:10 +0000 Seventy years after China’s Madame Chiang Kai-shek made it to the "best dressed women in wartime" list in 1943, it is now first lady Peng Liyuan's turn. The wife of President Xi Jinping has earned a coveted spot on the fashion magazine’s International Best Dressed list, cementing her status as the stylish first lady of China. She ranks with fashion icons Justin Timberlake, the Duchess of Cambridge, Victoria Beckham and American burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese. Peng is the only Chinese person to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1293531/chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-makes-vanity-fairs-best-dressed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1293531/chinas-first-lady-peng-liyuan-makes-vanity-fairs-best-dressed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Aug 2013 03:09:16 +0000 In the year when the Gang of Four was toppled, a young teacher in my hometown shot to fame playing Jiang Qing on stage. His performance was simple: he slapped on some make-up, wore a big, loose colourful dress, walked coyly on stage and then laughed wildly for 10 minutes. The show was hugely popular. He captured the essence of Jiang's public image: a mannish, witch-like woman who was unfit to be China's first lady. Even now, many ordinary Chinese have no clear idea of the crimes Jiang was... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1262991/chinas-first-lady-fever-betrays-its-backward-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1262991/chinas-first-lady-fever-betrays-its-backward-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000