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| Michelle Obama Begins Good-Will Tour in China | Michelle Obama Begins Good-Will Tour in China |
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| BEIJING — Michelle Obama, on the first day of a good-will tour to China with her daughters and her mother, tried her hand on Friday at three quintessentially Chinese specialties: calligraphy, table tennis and mathematics. | BEIJING — Michelle Obama, on the first day of a good-will tour to China with her daughters and her mother, tried her hand on Friday at three quintessentially Chinese specialties: calligraphy, table tennis and mathematics. |
| Her hostess was China’s first lady — though strictly speaking there is no such title in China — Peng Liyuan, the wife of President Xi Jinping and a glamorous, nationally known singing star. | Her hostess was China’s first lady — though strictly speaking there is no such title in China — Peng Liyuan, the wife of President Xi Jinping and a glamorous, nationally known singing star. |
| The meeting was expected to be a show of spontaneity and broad smiles, the bonding of two women with big personalities who rose from humble backgrounds and who would have much in common, as they toured a high school and visited the Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing. | The meeting was expected to be a show of spontaneity and broad smiles, the bonding of two women with big personalities who rose from humble backgrounds and who would have much in common, as they toured a high school and visited the Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing. |
| But instead, like some aspects of the formal and often fraught relationship between the two countries, the encounter was a little stiff, and certainly on the part of Ms. Peng, subdued. | But instead, like some aspects of the formal and often fraught relationship between the two countries, the encounter was a little stiff, and certainly on the part of Ms. Peng, subdued. |
| Dressed in a severely tailored blue suit and laced-up black high-heel ankle boots, she appeared not quite accustomed to a role that is closely controlled by top Communist Party operatives and avidly scrutinized on Chinese social media. | Dressed in a severely tailored blue suit and laced-up black high-heel ankle boots, she appeared not quite accustomed to a role that is closely controlled by top Communist Party operatives and avidly scrutinized on Chinese social media. |
| In a class on calligraphy at Beijing Normal School, a prestigious state-run secondary school, Mrs. Obama, brush in hand and paper in front of her, tried to write the Chinese character for the word eternity. “Push harder,” urged Liu Yijie, a student, as she tentatively drew the eight strokes. | In a class on calligraphy at Beijing Normal School, a prestigious state-run secondary school, Mrs. Obama, brush in hand and paper in front of her, tried to write the Chinese character for the word eternity. “Push harder,” urged Liu Yijie, a student, as she tentatively drew the eight strokes. |
| Ms. Peng, in one of the few phrases she used in English, said: “I’ll give it a try,” and wrote a four-character Chinese saying, “Only people of great virtue are suited to undertake great things.” As she wrote, she conceded in Chinese: “I’m pretty nervous, too.” Then she presented her work to Mrs. Obama. | Ms. Peng, in one of the few phrases she used in English, said: “I’ll give it a try,” and wrote a four-character Chinese saying, “Only people of great virtue are suited to undertake great things.” As she wrote, she conceded in Chinese: “I’m pretty nervous, too.” Then she presented her work to Mrs. Obama. |
| The two women admired robots that the students had built using elements of mathematics, science, engineering and art. | The two women admired robots that the students had built using elements of mathematics, science, engineering and art. |
| In the table tennis class, Mrs. Obama shed the vest of her casual pantsuit, and took paddle in hand. After a few strokes, she got the hang of it, hit some volleys, and wrapped her game to applause. “My husband plays. He thinks he’s better than he really is,” she said. | In the table tennis class, Mrs. Obama shed the vest of her casual pantsuit, and took paddle in hand. After a few strokes, she got the hang of it, hit some volleys, and wrapped her game to applause. “My husband plays. He thinks he’s better than he really is,” she said. |
| The high school was chosen for Mrs. Obama’s visit because it emphasizes the value of education abroad: 30 American students are studying there under a program called School Year Abroad this year, and many of the Chinese students are expected to go to college in the United States. The American students pay $50,000 a year with students enrolled this year from elite East Coast schools, including Choate in Connecticut and Sidwell Friends in Washington, which the Obama daughters, Malia and Sasha, attend. | |
| Mrs. Obama, her daughters and mother, Marian Robinson, were given a special tour of the Forbidden City with Ms. Peng that was brisk — less than an hour — and devoid of Chinese tourists in the areas where they walked. On a normal day, 30,000 tourists mill through the vast courtyards but the crowds were pared down to 5,000, a Chinese official said. | Mrs. Obama, her daughters and mother, Marian Robinson, were given a special tour of the Forbidden City with Ms. Peng that was brisk — less than an hour — and devoid of Chinese tourists in the areas where they walked. On a normal day, 30,000 tourists mill through the vast courtyards but the crowds were pared down to 5,000, a Chinese official said. |
| Mrs. Obama’s appearance in China would probably prove an eye-opener for many ordinary Chinese, said Zhang Lifan, a professor of Chinese modern history. | |
| “In China, it is very unlikely that a minority person could be a leader of the country, or a first lady,” Mr. Zhang said. “Ordinary citizens will see the U.S. system has more opportunity for ethnic minorities to rise and have opportunities.” | |
| On social media sites, the visit was greeted with a mixture of approval and skepticism. A former head of education in Yunnan Province said on Sina Weibo, which is similar to Twitter, that “the cons outweigh the pros when it comes to first ladies becoming involved in politics.” Others commented on how Mrs. Obama was greeted by a blue, pollution-free sky. “Now Michelle’s here, it’s immediately bright and blue again.” | On social media sites, the visit was greeted with a mixture of approval and skepticism. A former head of education in Yunnan Province said on Sina Weibo, which is similar to Twitter, that “the cons outweigh the pros when it comes to first ladies becoming involved in politics.” Others commented on how Mrs. Obama was greeted by a blue, pollution-free sky. “Now Michelle’s here, it’s immediately bright and blue again.” |
| The role of first lady has gone through several cycles in China. Before the Communists rose to power, there were strong women, notably Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the imperious and influential wife of the Nationalist Party leader Chiang Kai-shek who in 1949 finally lost the battle for China to Mao Zedong. | The role of first lady has gone through several cycles in China. Before the Communists rose to power, there were strong women, notably Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the imperious and influential wife of the Nationalist Party leader Chiang Kai-shek who in 1949 finally lost the battle for China to Mao Zedong. |
| Then there was Mao’s wife, Jiang Qing, who was a major force in encouraging the terrible deeds of the Cultural Revolution. After Jiang Qing, the leaders’ wives were relegated to the background and emerged to accompany their husbands only on the most important foreign trips. | |
| “Women and high politics are perceived as a toxic mix in the annals of Chinese history,” said John Delury, the author with Orville Schell of a recent book on China, “Wealth and Power: China’s Long March to the Twenty-First Century.” | “Women and high politics are perceived as a toxic mix in the annals of Chinese history,” said John Delury, the author with Orville Schell of a recent book on China, “Wealth and Power: China’s Long March to the Twenty-First Century.” |
| And during the current crackdown on corruption, which in China often means nepotism, a highly visible first lady would go against the grain. | And during the current crackdown on corruption, which in China often means nepotism, a highly visible first lady would go against the grain. |
| So Ms. Peng, who was a star for many years on the country’s New Year’s Eve televised extravaganza, has been treading carefully since her husband took power in 2012. | So Ms. Peng, who was a star for many years on the country’s New Year’s Eve televised extravaganza, has been treading carefully since her husband took power in 2012. |
| She began her career as a singer for the People’s Liberation Army entertaining Chinese troops much like American performers at U.S.O. concerts. She became a national favorite in dramatic operas like “Farewell My Concubine” about a Chinese king and his lover, and performed that role in full regalia — green gown, red cloak and an elaborate sparkling headdress — in Moscow in 2007. | She began her career as a singer for the People’s Liberation Army entertaining Chinese troops much like American performers at U.S.O. concerts. She became a national favorite in dramatic operas like “Farewell My Concubine” about a Chinese king and his lover, and performed that role in full regalia — green gown, red cloak and an elaborate sparkling headdress — in Moscow in 2007. |
| The Chinese Health Ministry chose her as an AIDS ambassador in 2006, and she starred in public service announcements for Chinese television where she is shown, wearing a simple orange shirt and casual pants, holding hands and feeding young orphans whose parents died of AIDS. | The Chinese Health Ministry chose her as an AIDS ambassador in 2006, and she starred in public service announcements for Chinese television where she is shown, wearing a simple orange shirt and casual pants, holding hands and feeding young orphans whose parents died of AIDS. |
| “As a mother she was interested in reducing the stigma of AIDS,” said Ruby Yang, the Chinese-American filmmaker who directed the announcements. | “As a mother she was interested in reducing the stigma of AIDS,” said Ruby Yang, the Chinese-American filmmaker who directed the announcements. |
| By Friday evening, Ms. Peng, in a svelte black contemporary version of the traditional Chinese dress with ultra high-heeled toeless pumps, came into her own, hosting a private dinner and a performance at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse for the Obama family. | |
| President Xi accompanied Ms. Peng to meet Mrs. Obama at the guesthouse, although he did not stay for dinner. He greeted her warmly, saying, “It’s such a great pleasure to see you in person today.” And he complimented the choice of the new American ambassador, Max Baucus, the former Democratic Senator from Montana, who was also present, calling him a “heavyweight ambassador” who would “inject new impetus” to the US China relationship. | |
| While the Obama clan presented a three-generation family tableau Friday – two daughters, a mother and a grandmother all under one roof, a highly admired living arrangement in China – there was a conspicuous absence on the Chinese side. | |
| The daughter of Mr. Xi and Ms. Peng, Xi Mingze, enrolled at Harvard University under a pseudonym several years ago. It is assumed, White House officials say, that she is still there. | The daughter of Mr. Xi and Ms. Peng, Xi Mingze, enrolled at Harvard University under a pseudonym several years ago. It is assumed, White House officials say, that she is still there. |
| A columnist in a Beijing newspaper speculated that Mr. Xi would bring his daughter to meet the Obamas at the guesthouse, and one commenter asked on Weibo, “Where is First Princess Xi Mingze?” She was not to be seen Friday. | |