Chinese, American first ladies visit Palm Beach school
First lady Melania Trump joined Madame Peng Liyuan, the wife of visiting Chinese premier Xi Jinping, spent some time at a Palm Beach middle school on Friday.
Jinping and his wife, a celebrity in her own right, arrived Thursday at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for bilateral talks focusing on issues like trade and North Korea’s missile program. Trump and Liyuan got to Bak Middle School of the Arts around 11 a.m. on Friday, and went from classroom to classroom to meet with students and teachers.
The two first ladies were greeted by dozens of 7th and 8th grade girls singing “Astonishing” from “Little Women the Musical.” The prestigious Bak Middle School accepts students interested in pursuing an education in the arts.
After the musical production, Trump and Liyuan attended classes in symphonic band, advanced orchestra (where they were treated to a recital of Bach’s “Air”), and then a civics lesson. At the orchestra class, Trump asked one student how much she practices. The answer: two-and-a-half hours a day.
At the civics lesson, the teacher informed Trump and Liyuan that the class was working on a project concerning 20th century conflict. Liyuan spoke to one student in Mandarin.
Roughly an hour after arriving at the school, the two first ladies departed for a private lunch. The Chinese delegation is expected to depart Mar-a-Lago later on Friday.
