MICHELLE OBAMA IN CHINA TO PROMOTE TRADITIONAL FAMILY CULTURE

First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughters Malia and Sasha are greeted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan at the Diaoyutai State guest house in Beijing, China

Spring Break may come with beach dreams and tons of downtime, but Malia and Sasha Obama had international goals in mind when they travelled with their mother, First Lady Michelle Obama, to China.

The Obama women and grandmother Marian Robinson arrived in Beijing on Thursday to meet with China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan, wife of the country’s President Xi Jinping. The Obamas visit to China was meant to show support for traditional family culture. In China and in much of South-East Asian countries, families have multi-generational households and grandparents are seen as secondary care providers, much like Mrs. Robinson has been in the White House.

“I think they understand the significance as well of family and of three generations of family traveling together, which I think the Chinese will appreciate, and will appreciate the ties and the bonds that the Obama family have with one another across generations,” Mrs. Obama’s chief of staff Tina Tchen said in a press release.

Promoting traditional family culture isn’t the only thing scheduled for the Obamas. Schools and universities are planned for visits as the women participate in discussions and events.

The ladies overseas trip hasn’t gone unnoticed with President Obama, who admitted to NBC News yesterday that “it’s very lonely at home.”

First Lady Michelle Obama and U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, second from right, and his wife Peng Liyuan during a meeting at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse in Beijing

Michelle Obama and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan as her guide.

Peng Liyuan shows First Lady Michelle Obama how to hold a writing brush as they visit a Chinese traditional calligraphy class at the Beijing Normal School


Michelle Obama tries to write Chinese words as Peng Liyuan looks on during their visit to a calligraphy class at the Beijing Normal School, a school that prepares students to attend university abroad.

Michelle Obama plays table tennis as she visits the Beijing Normal School.

Source: NBCNews, eurweb and the Obama diary