BEIJING (AP) — U.S. first lady Michelle Obama brought the importance of education to the foreground on Sunday on the third day of a visit to China, where she has won praise for her approachability and admiration for her comments supporting freedom of speech.

Mrs. Obama, traveling with her two daughters, has been photographed at famous spots including the Forbidden City and Great Wall during the first independent trip by a U.S. president’s wife to China. She has won compliments for her elegant clothing and her interactions with ordinary people in a country where it is rare to see leaders’ spouses or children in public.