Fashionista, folk singer and president’s wife

Endearingly referred to as “The Peony Fairy”, President Xi Jinping’s wife, Peng Liyuan, enjoys an adoring global fan base. During state visits she has been heralded by the media as China’s first lady. Comparisons are made between Mrs Peng and Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana and, more recently, Kate Middleton.

Mrs Peng was born in Shandong province and joined the People’s Liberation Army when she was 18. Her talent for folk singing quickly took her away from soldiering duties and on to the stage, singing to raise morale in the army, where she has remained since. Mrs Peng gained nationwide attention when she performed On the

Plains of Hope on CCTV’s New Year Gala in 1982.

Mr Xi and Mrs Peng were introduced by friends in the 1980s. Mr Xi reportedly charmed Mrs Peng by asking about singing techniques. The president-to-be said he knew the folk singer would be his wife within 40 minutes of meeting her. They were married in 1987. Their daughter, Xi Mingze, was born in 1992.

In addition to her folk-singing career, Mrs Peng holds the rank of major general in the People’s Liberation Army. In recent years, Mrs Peng has taken on more diplomatic duties. In 2011, she was made a World Health Organisation goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/Aids, a role that involves lobbying governments. Last month, Mrs Peng met the director general of Unesco to discuss promoting international female education.

Mrs Peng’s fashion is of particular focus on state visits. During trips to Mexico, Russia, and Belgium, she received attention for her signature highcut dresses and suits, often with a turned-up collar, a scarf, or clutch to accessorise.

Mrs Peng is “a key player in China’s soft power”, said the president of the Institute of international relations of China Foreign Affairs University, a point echoed by headlines around the world. “China’s first lady Peng Liyuan steals the show in Latin America,” wrote Britain’s The Daily Telegraph after a trip to Trinidad and Tobago.

Clothes that she wears on the international stage often sell out within hours. During a trip to Moscow, Mrs Peng appeared in a coat from Chinese designer Exception, causing the manufacturer’s website to crash from the subsequent traffic.

Despite all this, at home, Mr Xi and Mrs Peng are husband and wife, first and foremost.

“When he comes home, I’ve never thought of it as though there’s some leader in the house. In my eyes, he’s just my husband,” Mrs Peng said in a magazine interview.

“When I get home, he doesn’t think of me as some famous star. In his eyes, I’m simply his wife.”