Photos circulating this week allegedly show Michelle Obama proudly waving red Communist flags during a recent trip to China. Is this true or false?

The photo is real but the caption is false.

While the image in question shows Michelle Obama holding two red flags, they are not the flags of China or the Communist party. They are merely flags used by a troupe of folk dancers Obama joined in the city of Xi’an. As NBC reported:

Michelle Obama gamely joined in with a troupe of folk dancers as she visited the Chinese city of Xi’an on Monday.

The First Lady swayed to the music, having earlier accepted an invitation to jump rope and tested out her shuttlecock-kicking skills.

Additional photos of the event show that the flags in Obama’s hand are those used by flag troupes. Critics may point out that the troupe flags are the same – or similar – color as China’s flag, but they are clearly not the same shape or design.

Below is a photo of the flag of China. Note that the shape and design differ from those being held by Michelle Obama in the photos above.

Critics have said the First Lady’s trip overlooks China’s human rights issues, while others have referred to the visit as a family vacation with tax payer funds.

Bottom Line

Although the nature of the trip can be debated, the caption that Michelle Obama waved Chinese or Communist flags is inaccurate. The flags in the photo belonged to a dance troupe.