Xi leaned on wife Peng Liyuan throughout US visit, Wall Street Journal reports

Xi held Peng's hand throughout US visit

WSJ: 'Unusual scene' for China's top leadership couple

Peng, a national star, holds deep military connections

As Xi purges military ranks, wife's network grows more valuable

Chinese President Xi Jinping walks hand-in-hand with his wife Peng Liyuan as they leave the National Archives Museum in Washington on Sept. 25 (local time). US President Donald Trump is also seen holding the hand of first lady Melania Trump. [Getty Images]

Chinese President Xi Jinping drew attention during his US visit last week for repeatedly holding the hand of his wife, Peng Liyuan. The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Xi leaned heavily on Peng throughout his time in Washington — a notably unusual sight given the strict norms governing China's top leadership. Analysts noted the gesture went beyond a ceremonial role.

When Xi descended the steps of his official aircraft on Sept. 23 (local time), he gripped the handrail with one hand and held Peng's hand with the other. Two days later, as the couple climbed the granite steps of the National Archives alongside Donald Trump and Melania Trump, Xi and Peng remained hand-in-hand throughout.

While the physical contact may seem minor, the Wall Street Journal called it a striking departure from the strict conventions of China's top leadership. Senior Chinese leaders rarely lean on their spouses in public, wary of appearing weak. On state visits, a spouse's role has traditionally been limited to waving, smiling and attending cultural events.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan disembark from their aircraft at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sept. 23 (local time), where an arrival ceremony was held. [Getty Images]

Footage of the moments circulated widely abroad unedited, but Chinese state broadcasters aired carefully trimmed versions. Coverage emphasized Xi waving from the aircraft door, the official tarmac welcome ceremony and past handshakes between leaders — while scenes of Xi holding Peng's hand on the steps were cut. The omissions underscored that images of the country's top leader relying on his wife remain taboo inside China.

The scenes do not in themselves prove that Peng holds real political power. Still, she is clearly the person Xi visibly leans on.

Before Xi rose to lead China, he was in fact better known domestically as "Peng Liyuan's husband." A celebrated soprano and national star who had served in the People's Liberation Army, Peng played a significant role in boosting Xi's public image as he ascended to supreme power in late 2012.

Peng held a non-combat civilian officer rank in the PLA equivalent to major general. In 2012 she became president of the PLA Academy of Arts, maintaining a high military standing typically reserved for the most senior figures in the military's cultural sphere. When a sweeping reorganization of the Chinese military in 2017 absorbed that institution into the National Defense University, Peng moved to another position within the military.

Peng, who is 10 years younger than the 73-year-old Xi, spent years before his rise to power touring major military commands across China with her performance troupe. She also attended banquets and built direct relationships with senior PLA generals.

Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, applauds alongside US first lady Melania Trump as they watch a performance by students from the Hope China School choir at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art on Sept. 24 (local time). [Getty Images]

Dennis Wilder, a former senior CIA China analyst who served on the National Security Council during the George W. Bush administration, argued that Peng in practice plays a role connected to the vetting process used to assess China's military leadership. "Xi Jinping relies heavily on Peng Liyuan's connections," Wilder said. "Xi does not have the PLA network that Peng Liyuan has."

Wilder said Peng possesses a personal network that allows her to gauge who is loyal to Xi and who is not, adding: "Peng Liyuan is the most powerful woman in China since Jiang Qing."

Jiang Qing, the wife of Mao Zedong, led the radical "Gang of Four" and was a driving force behind the suppression of political opponents and the social upheaval of the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976.

Jiang's legacy is part of why the Chinese Communist Party remains deeply wary of a top leader's spouse exercising political power, even half a century later. The basic principle holds today: a top leader's spouse may appear in public but is expected to remain a politically harmless, ceremonial presence.

The Wall Street Journal noted that any suggestion Peng could play a role in senior military personnel decisions touches on a sensitive area the party would not want to acknowledge publicly.

From left, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Peng Liyuan and US President Donald Trump attend an arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sept. 23 (local time). [Getty Images]

Xi's recent wave of military purges has also narrowed his inner circle, lending further weight to the analysis. The Wall Street Journal noted that the removal of longtime military confidants — including Zhang Youxia — has weakened Xi's network of trusted figures within the armed forces. In that context, Peng's informal web of information and personal connections, built on decades of military ties and Xi's long-standing trust in her, may carry even greater weight despite her holding no official post.

There is no official confirmation, however, that Peng directly intervenes in PLA personnel decisions. The assessment remains at the level of analysis — that Xi may rely on her network for military appointments and related matters, given the deep ties she built with senior military figures over her long career in the PLA.

mokiya@heraldcorp.com