Washington: Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan toured one of the largest Asian art museums in the United States on Thursday, highlighting cultural ties between the US and China during a prominent diplomatic visit to Washington.

Departing the White House while their husbands met, the first ladies visited the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art in a display of soft power that brought together two figures renowned for blending style with diplomacy. The occasion marked the first public meeting in nearly a decade between the spouses, one a former fashion model and the other a celebrated soprano.

Onlookers gathered on the sidewalk opposite the museum, with many waving Chinese and American flags. The crowds also displayed long banners inscribed with Chinese text.

Inside the institution, the first ladies viewed the Peacock Room, a gilded green, blue, and gold dining area originally installed in a London residence before opening to the public in Washington in 1923. The room was designed by American artist James McNeill Whistler.

They also viewed Whistler's oil painting "Princess from the Land of Porcelain," which hangs within the room and depicts a woman in a kimono holding a fan.

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First Ladies Last Met in 2017 in Beijing

The encounter carried the potential to serve as a global spectacle, featuring two prominent women from the world's two largest economies.

“They definitely add to the grandiosity and the symbolic significance of this trip,” said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank.

Sun noted that every interaction between the first ladies would be analyzed for indications regarding relations between their respective nations. Equally likely to attract scrutiny are their attire choices, which are closely followed in fashion circles and frequently discussed across social media.

“In terms of presentation, these two first ladies are going to be impeccable,” Sun said, observing that both are trained as “professional presenters.”

Their previous public meeting took place in 2017, when President Donald Trump visited Beijing during an Asian tour in his first term. On that occasion, the first ladies took tea together at the Palace Museum and visited a school where students performed musical routines. Melania Trump did not accompany her husband on his visit to Beijing earlier this year.

Trump and Peng Approach Roles Differently

Peng has assumed a more public posture than her predecessors, who rarely participated in state visits and typically maintained a low profile. Melania Trump maintains a quieter presence, frequently preferring to operate behind the scenes.

The pair departed the White House on Thursday as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping conducted private talks, visiting the museum following an arrival ceremony at the White House and prior to a formal state dinner.

Peng's previous visit to the White House occurred in 2015, when President Barack Obama hosted Xi. A recognized star prior to her husband's political rise, Peng achieved national prominence during the 1980s as a military vocalist, performing patriotic songs in full dress uniform.

She also serves as a public welfare advocate, occupying roles with little precedent for her position in China. She has acted as an official anti-smoking ambassador in China, and in 2011 was named a World Health Organization goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

Peng has appeared more frequently in public recently, following a period of reduced visibility on the global stage due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a reduction in diplomatic travel by her husband.

Asian Art Museum Houses Thousands of Artifacts

The Smithsonian's Asian art museum ranks among the largest of its kind in the United States. It has also been subject to scrutiny amid attempts by the Trump administration to eliminate what it views as liberal ideology within institution facilities.

The White House ordered a review of Smithsonian museums last year to ensure displays "celebrate American exceptionalism" and "remove divisive or partisan narratives."

Situated on the National Mall, the museum holds more than 46,000 objects ranging from the Neolithic period to the modern era, according to its official website. It has participated in broader Smithsonian initiatives to repatriate stolen or unethically acquired artifacts to their countries of origin. Last year, the museum returned fragments of a 2,000-year-old Chinese silk manuscript that had been looted from a tomb.

In an interview with Fox News Channel on Wednesday, Melania Trump said she was accompanying Peng to the museum to demonstrate the “connection with the culture, with us and China.”

During Peng's 2015 visit to the White House, she joined then-first lady Michelle Obama at a naming ceremony for a giant panda at the National Zoo. That event featured songs performed by pupils from a local Chinese immersion school. The panda, Bei Bei, was later relocated to China in 2019 to participate in a breeding programme.

AP