FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The escorting of Xi Jinping by Peng Liyuan was a clear message, desired and carefully prepared by China, to be thrown at European and Chinese public opinion.
In the spotlight is the formation of the Air China flight that just landed at the Paris airport. Xi Jinping is about to set foot in Europe five years after his last official visit to the Old Continent.
From the Chinese state jet, the silhouette of Xi materializes, in a dark blue suit and white shirt. Macron's guest shakes a woman's hand: it's his wife, Peng Liyuan, 61, smiling and also very elegant, wearing a purple dress.
During her stay in France, Ms. Peng transitioned perfectly into the role of First Lady to the most powerful man in the world. She immediately attracted the attention of the cameras at the state banquet held at the Elysee, where she was not at all overwhelmed by the aura emitted by Xi. On the contrary, her presence complemented the image of her husband, showing his more human side.
Peng, after all, knows how to navigate such scenarios. She has accompanied Xi to various international conferences and diplomatic visits, making appearances and speeches at the United Nations and global charity events.
An imperial couple
The escorting of Xi Jinping by Peng Liyuan was a clear message, desired and carefully prepared by China, to be thrown at European and Chinese public opinion. Yes, because footage of the Chinese president's visit to France was shown on giant screens in Beijing, on national TV and by every media outlet in the Asian country.
In short, Peng is a key element of Xi's European visit: if Macron - implicitly recognized by the Chinese as the most influential leader in Europe - is always photographed together with Brigitte, then the Chinese leader also has an equally glamorous wife to show the whole world. Then there are reasons related to soft power.
On the afternoon of May 6, local time, Peng Liyuan, wife of President Xi Jinping, was invited to visit the Musee d'Orsay with Brigitte, wife of French President Macron, in Paris #xijinping pic.twitter.com/fdIxtj0iZN
— Shanxi Today (@zhaolao11) May 7, 2024
Ms. Peng was received at the Elysée with the highest honors. Waiting for her were undoubtedly Macron and Brigitte - the French president greeted her by kissing her hand - as well as many other relevant figures, such as composer Jean Michelle Jarre, actress Salma Hayek, CEO of Dior, Delphine Arnault and the director general of UNESCO -s, Audrey Azoulay.
Peng Liyuan: not only Xi's wife
In China, Miss Peng needs no introduction. She has long been much more famous than her husband. Suffice it to say that, when Xi was just an official working hard to climb the ranks of the Chinese Communist Party, Peng Liyuan was a singer known and appreciated throughout the country.
At a very young age, her talent for singing earned her a place at Shandong University of the Arts, where she would "specialize" in Chinese folk songs. She then attended the Beijing Conservatory of Music.
In 1984, she finally joined the band of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (in 2009 she would become a major general of the same army). Two years later, Peng met Xi when the latter was a mid-ranking official. The right spark fell between the two. They still form China's most famous couple. / Adapted "Pamphlet" from "Inside Over"
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