US first lady Michelle Obama is pictured upon her arrival at Beijing international airport on March 20, 2014. The wife of the US president is making her first visit to China, accompanied by her mother and daughters. [Photo/Icpress]

US first lady Michelle Obama arrived at the Beijing Capital International Airport at about 5:15 pm on Thursday, kicking off a weeklong, three-city tour of China that analysts said will further advance relations between Beijing and Washington.



China's first lady Peng Liyuan will join Mrs Obama on a visit to the Forbidden City on Friday, and she is also expected to host a private dinner for her, daughters Malia and Sasha and her mother Marian Robinson.

The four Americans will also travel to the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, and visit a panda reserve in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Additionally, Mrs Obama aims to talk about the power and importance of education, both in her own life and in the lives of young people in both countries.

This the first time that Michelle Obama is visiting China without her husband, US president Barack Obama.