By the usual standards of Chinese media, reporting or any writing on President Xi Jinping is nothing short of slavish, reflecting his power and authority. Now it seems, some of that coverage is spilling over to his wife Peng Liyuan. On Xiโs return from a three-nation swing through France, Serbia and Hungary, local media quoted Foreign Minister Wang Yi as undescoring that โFirst Lady Diplomacy was the highlight of the visitโ.
In fact, a cursory reading of articles in the Chinese media gave the impression she was getting equal billing with her husband. A Xinhua report A CGTN report on the first coupleโs visit to Hungary was headlined โViktor Orban and wife hold farewell for Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan in Budapestโ; another during their France visit carried the headline โPeng Liyuan, French first lady visit Orsay Museumโ; a similar headline heralded her arrival along with her husband in the Serbian capital Belgrade.
Is Xi laying the ground for expanding his wifeโs role in the government and party? According to RFI quoting Hong Kongโs Sing Tao Daily, the first lady is being groomed to serve as a full-time member of the Central Military Commissionโs cadre evaluation panel. It is also claimed that the six month delay in convening the 6th Plenum of the Communist Party in July, could be linked to Xiโs intention to have Peng Liyuan join the Politburo.
But it is the military role that bears scrutiny. Peng was serving in the rank of major-general in 2017 when she quit as head of the PLA Academ of Arts. Since then her specific military role has remained unclear. However, recent images circulating on Chinese social media platforms show her engaged in military-related activities. One caption says, โPeng Liyuan, a full-time member of the Central Military Commission Cadre Evaluation Committee, visits the school to research the development of high-level talent.โ
It gives the impression that Peng might have been appointed to the committee, though no official confirmation has been made. That also suggests such manoeuvres are complex even for as powerful a pesonage as Xi Jinping, and it has to be thought through and carefully implemented. Even a high-ranking official like Cai Qi, who is the fifth ranking member of the Politburo standing committee, took time to rise.
On Weibo, Chinaโs equivalent of X, comments from โLittle Pinksโ (loyalists of the regime) are increasingly featuring Peng Liyuan. Their posts frequently use the term โOur First Lady Diplomacy,โ suggesting a key role for her in enhancing Chinaโs diplomatic efforts. The enthusiastic support from these young nationalists highlights Peng Liyuanโs increasing influence and popularity as she accompanies President Xi Jinping on international visits.
โPeopleโs Digestโ described her as โChinaโs new business card,โ lauding her โtulip diplomacyโ with the Queen of the Netherlands as fragrant and charming. Wang Yiโs endorsement, emphasising her โsoft power,โ is also notable. China Daily highlighted her ability to act as a bridge between cultures and underscored her call while in Europe, for โClose friendship between peoplesโ.
Can Pengโs rise be compared to that of Mao Zedongโs fourth wife Jiang Qing, who in 1969, entered the Politburo? Prior to that, she was seen as Maoโs personal emisary in the early stages of the Cultural Revolution, was active in the realm of arts and culture particularly when pushing her husbandโs cult of personality. She used her proximity to him to organise the Gang of Four that controlled several of Chinaโs political institutions, but within months of Maoโs death in 1976, was arrested and disappeared from sight.