Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan shared a light moment with Melania Trump on Wednesday as the two women renewed an acquaintance dating back to the Trumps’ first term in the White House.
The first ladies smiled as they greeted each other at the foot of the aircraft stairs at Joint Base Andrews, where Peng arrived with President Xi Jinping for a visit to Washington. Walking behind their husbands along the red carpet, Peng gestured towards the honour guard, apparently remarking on the soldiers’ height.
After the welcoming ceremony, Peng mouthed “wonderful” during another brief exchange with Melania. Their conversation was not audible.
The two women had spent time together during Xi’s visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in April 2017. Later that year, during the Trumps’ visit to Beijing, they toured a primary school together, taking in classes and a student cultural performance. Melania subsequently called Xi and Peng “gracious hosts” and spoke of the personal conversations she had enjoyed during the trip.
On Wednesday, Melania wore a dark two-piece suit with a white shirt, while Peng wore a pale grey-blue dress with a light scarf around her neck. Trump and Xi also held several conversations through interpreters during the ceremony, including before the Chinese couple departed in a Hongqi car.
The first ladies are due to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art together on Thursday after the White House arrival ceremony. They are also scheduled to attend a state dinner with their husbands that evening. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
