First Lady Michelle Obama will visit China later this month with daughters, Malia and Sasha, and her mother, Maria Robinson, on a trip that focuses on the importance of education, the White House said.

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Mrs. Obama will make stops in Beijing on March 20-23, Xi'an on March 24, and Chengdu on March 25-26.

The first lady's visit will include a meeting with Madame Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping; tours of China's cultural and historical sites; a visit to a university and high school in Beijing, and a high school in Chengdu.

It will be Mrs. Obama's first visit to China and she is looking forward to the trip, as she considers such trips abroad as an opportunity to act as ambassador for the United States and to expose her daughters to the world.

"With more than 1.3 billion people, China is the most populous country on earth, and it plays an important role on the world stage. My husband and I take the time to visit countries like China because we know that today, more than ever before, our lives here in America are connected to the lives of people around the world," Mrs. Obama said in her post on the White House Blog.

"I'll be talking with students about their lives in China and telling them about America and the values and traditions we hold dear.  I'll be focusing in particular on the power and importance of education, both in my own life and in the lives of young people in both of our countries," Mrs. Obama added.

To prepare for her upcoming trip to China, the First Lady will visit Yu Ying Public Charter School, a prominent school in Washington, DC that features a Mandarin immersion program. Her daughter, Shasha, has studied Mandarin at the Sidwell Friends school.