Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan tour Smithsonian Asian art museum in Washington

First ladies Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan toured the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington on Thursday, marking a rare public meeting between the spouses of the United States and Chinese heads of state.

The visit, part of China’s diplomatic trip to the capital, was intended to highlight cultural ties between the two largest economies. Crowds gathered outside the museum, waving American and Chinese flags and displaying banners with Chinese text.

Inside, the first ladies examined the Peacock Room – a gilded dining space originally created by James McNeill Whistler for a London mansion and opened to the public in Washington in 1923 – and viewed Whistler’s painting “Princess from the Land of Porcelain,” which depicts a kimono‑clad woman holding a fan.

The outing occurred while President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping held private talks at the White White House. It was the first public encounter of the two first ladies in nearly a decade; their previous joint appearance was in 2017 during a Beijing visit.

Analysts noted that every interaction between the first ladies would be closely examined for diplomatic signals and that their fashion choices would attract considerable media attention.

Source: ABC News. Photo: Matheus Bertelli / Pexels.