On the afternoon of November 10, 2011, at the invitation of U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao left Beijing by special plane to attend the 19th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economic leaders' meeting in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

Hu's entourage includes his wife Liu Yongqing; Ling Jihua, member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee; Wang Huning, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee; State Councilor Dai Bingguo; Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi; Minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Zhang Ping; Finance Minister Xie Xuren; Commerce Minister Chen Deming; director of the President's Office Chen Shiju; Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Hailong and Assistant Commerce Minister Yu Jianhua.