China, U.S. Engage in First Lady Diplomacy

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama is in the middle of a weeklong visit to China, officially at the invitation of Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan. The visit is notable perhaps not so much for being Obama's first visit to China or for a U.S. first lady's taking a role in international relations, but for Peng's emergence as a public figure. For decades, China's first lady was a low-key position. The role of president is not as prominent in China as it is in the United States; the Chinese president shares power with the premier, Party general secretary and Politburo. China also has lingering concerns about a too-powerful woman behind the scenes, such as Mao Zedong's wife, Jiang Qing. Peng's more public role reflects potential changes in the perception and power of her husband, Chinese President and Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping.