Peng Liyuan, wife of President Xi Jinping and a well-known soprano, received an honorary doctorate from New York's Juilliard School at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing on Dec 6, according to the official website of the conservatory.

Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi, who conferred the honorary degree to Peng, delivered a speech at the ceremony, saying that it is not only a recognition of Peng's accomplishment as an outstanding artist but also for her contribution to cultural exchanges between China and the United States.

Peng, an alumna of the Chinese conservatory, said at the ceremony:
"This is an honor not only for myself, but also for Chinese folk music. It exemplifies the increasingly closer cultural exchanges between China and the United States. I hope the cooperation between art schools and organizations of the two countries will be deepened in the future."

A traditional Chinese music orchestra from the conservatory and a string quartet from the Juilliard School performed during the ceremony.