US first lady Michelle Obama to visit China March 19-26

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama plans to make a solo trip to China from March 19 to March 26 that includes meetings with China’s first lady Peng Liyuan, the White House said on Monday (local time).

It will be her first visit ever to China.

During the weeklong visit, the American first lady is scheduled to visit Beijing; Xian in northwestern China; and Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan province.

In an announcement on the White House blog, the first lady says a China visit is important because it is the most populous country in the world, with more than 1.3 billion people, and plays an important role on the world stage.

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com