First lady Michelle Obama will travel to China later this month for a week-long visit focused on education, the White House announced Monday.
Mrs. Obama will visit Beijing for four days and will meet with Madame Peng, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip will take place from March 19 through March 26.
She will be accompanied by her mother, Marian Robinson, and daughters Sasha and Malia. While they’re in Asia, President Obama will be on a trip of his own that takes him to Europe and Saudi Arabia.
The White House said that, as with Mrs. Obama’s previous trips to Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, she “will be focusing on the power and importance of education, both in her own life and in the lives of young people in both countries.”
Mrs. Obama also will visit important historical and cultural sites in China, and will share with students in the U.S. the stories of the students she meets in China, “as well as interesting facts about China’s history and culture – emphasizing the importance of students learning from one another globally,” the White House said.
The first lady will visit a high school and university in Beijing, and later visit a high school in the city of Chengdu.
American students will be able to follow her trip by signing up for updates online.
In preparation for the trip, Mrs. Obama will visit the Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School — a Chinese-immersion, International Baccalaureate, elementary school in D.C., on Tuesday. At that event, Mrs. Obama will encourage students around the U.S. to follow her trip.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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