China ' s next first lady Peng Liyuan is a dazzling singer whose profile long eclipsed that of her husband Xi Jinping, and who will bring a touch of glamour to a role hidden in the shadows for decades. A soprano known for singing the praises of the party, Peng holds the rank of army general and starred for 24 years in an annual Lunar New Year gala broadcast on state television and watched by hundreds of millions of viewers.
In his travels abroad, Xi Jinping has often been something unusual for a Chinese communist leader: an ordinary guy. In Ireland, he stopped at a stadium to kick a football around.