President Xi’s wife’s elegant appearance in Moscow stirs sensation in China

The elegance and radiant smile of the wife of China’s new Head of State, Xi Jinping, following the presidential couple’s arrival in Moscow for their state visit to Russia, went viral across Chinese media and the internet this Friday.

Immenseley popular due to her long career as a singer, Peng Liyuan descended the steps of the Air China aircraft with great poise, alongside her husband, briefly grasping his arm, according to footage broadcast by Chinese television.

Carrying a handbag and wearing a navy blue tailored coat, Peng—who does not look a day over 50—maintained a constant smile before and during her greeting of the Russian welcoming committee officials.

« Such elegance!” exclaimed a user named Lanpingzigaidexingfu on a microblogging platform. “Such beauty!” added another, Renxiaoxuanxuan. A third, Yanhuozhiqiu, described Peng as “dignified,” while expressing « open-mindedness “.

Her coat drew significant attention: just a few hours after the first images of her disembarking from the plane were released, several merchants on the Taobao giant (the Chinese equivalent of eBay) were already offering it for “pre-sale.”

The Chinese First Lady’s coat was priced between 499 and 10,000 yuan (between 60 and 1,200 euros).

In just a few seconds, Peng Liyuan projected an image of youth and spontaneity that stood in stark contrast to the austere and reserved demeanor of Liu Yonqing, the wife of former President Hu Jintao. The latter was typically kept in the background, rarely stepping into the spotlight.

From the far reaches of China to Beijing, Peng Liyuan is a household name. A soprano holding the rank of general in the military, she has been a star of the state television New Year’s Gala for 25 years, an event watched by hundreds of millions of viewers every year.