US First Lady Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, visited the Asian art museum at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington on 24/9. This marked their first public standalone meeting in nearly a decade.

The two first ladies toured the Peacock Room, a lavish dining room adorned in shades of green, blue, and gold. This room was originally part of a London mansion before being opened to the public in Washington in 1923. It is a work by American artist James McNeill Whistler.

They also admired an ancient Chinese plate and Whistler's oil painting, "The Princess from the Land of Porcelain", which hangs in the Peacock Room. The painting depicts a woman in a kimono holding a fan.

Following their tour, children from the Hope Chinese School performed popular Chinese folk songs for the two first ladies, including "Song and Smile" and "Jasmine Flower".

The US First Lady and the wife of the Chinese President visit the Asian art museum in Washington on 24/9. Photo: AP

The Xinhua News Agency reported that Peng expressed appreciation for the US returning Chinese cultural artifacts in recent years. According to an earlier Xinhua report, US authorities handed over 64 artifacts and fossils that had been seized by law enforcement agencies.

Their last meeting was in 2017, when President Donald Trump visited Beijing during his first term. During that trip, the two first ladies shared tea at the Forbidden City and visited a school.

In a Fox News interview on 23/9, Melania stated that the museum visit aimed to demonstrate "the cultural connection between the United States and China".

The US First Lady (left) and the wife of the Chinese President during their museum visit on 24/9. Photo: AP

Ngoc Anh (According to AP, AFP)