The First Family

President Xi Jingping and his wife greeting the First Lady, Malia Obama, and Sasha Obama.

Both of President Barack Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha, attended their mother, the First Lady, to a week-long trip to China. There, they met China's president, Xi Jingping, and his wife Peng Liyuan. Press in the U.S. as well as in China, were shocked at the fact that Xi's daughter, Xi Mingze, didn't greet the Obamas with her parents. Xi Mingze was back home with her parents for Spring Break, so why didn't she greet the Obamas? 

It is believed that Xi Mingze is 21 years old and is studying at Harvard University under a pseudonym. President Xi Jingping and his wife have hid Xi Mingze from their people for a long time, and I wonder why. Click here to read more about the situation.

Another article confirmed that Xi Mingze did have dinner with the women of the Obama family, but I am most surprised about how she didn't greet the family in public. I think that presidents and their families, whether in the U.S. or China, have a duty to represent their family in a positive way. In a way, the First Family also represent their own country. I just don't understand what all the secrecy is about. 

What I find interesting though is the contrast between how Xi Jingping has/allows her daughter to hide from the public, while it is natural for Obama's daughters to be seen everywhere. America's people are constantly seeing pictures and posts from celebrities as well as . This leads me to the question: Why are famous figures in the U.S. so open to being in public? What does this say about America's customs and values? How do they differ from other countries in the world?