On the afternoon of June 14, Chinese President Hu Jintao left Beijing by special plane for the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the meeting of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) leaders in Russia's Ural city of Yekaterinburg. He will then pay a state visit to Russia followed by state visits to Slovakia and Croatia. Hu's visits to the three nations are at the invitation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic and Croatian President Stjepan Mesic.

Hu's entourage includes Ling Jihua, member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of General Office of the CPC Central Committee; Wang Huning, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and director of Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee; State Councilor Dai Bingguo; Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi; Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission Zhang Ping; Minister of Commerce Chen Deming; Minister of Culture Cai Wu; Vice Foreign Minister Li Hui; Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei and Director of the President's Office Chen Shiju.