Beijing's secret weapon: The Chinese president's charming wife Peng Liyuan

BEIJING: The glamorous Peng Liyuan, China's first 'first lady', who has added to husband Xi Jinping's foreign visits her `soft diplomacy' skills, may find it a tad difficult to go about her tasks on the couple's India tour. India has no first lady this time.

Peng, a popular singer, arrives at Ahmedabad after visits to Mongolia and Tajikistan. Aware of the attention Pen — known for her sharp style and strong commitment to women's empowerment — will attract, officials believe she'll play a big role in making the visit success ful. The extent to which she opens up will show what the Xi couple could do for cultural exchanges.

Peng actively adds her own touches to diplomacy. Known to gift Chinamade cosmetics, her countrymen are waiting to see if she'll use the India visit to play brand ambassador for Chinese goods too. She is scheduled to visit a school in Delhi on Thursday.