Peng Liyuan and Melania Trump renew acquaintance as Xi arrives

Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan and Melania Trump exchanged a brief light moment at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday as Xi arrived in the US, renewing an acquaintance formed during the Trumps’ first term in the White House.

Brief exchange at Joint Base Andrews

The two women stood beside the honour guard at Joint Base Andrews, the same setting where they had met during the Trumps’ first term.

After the welcoming ceremony, Peng mouthed “wonderful” during another brief exchange with Melania.

Their conversation was not audible, so the content of the exchange beyond that visible remark was not clear.

A connection from earlier visits

Peng and Melania 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, the two women toured a primary school together.

During that school visit, they took in classes and a student cultural performance.

Melania later called Xi and Peng “gracious hosts” and spoke of the personal conversations she had enjoyed during the trip.

The latest exchange mattered because it publicly revived a personal acquaintance linked to earlier high-profile visits involving Xi, Peng, Donald Trump and Melania Trump.

Source: South China Morning Post