On the morning of April 8, 2019, as agreed by the Chinese side and the European side and at the invitation of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković of Croatia, Premier Li Keqiang left Beijing by special plane for the 21st China-European Union (EU) Leaders' Meeting in Brussels and the 8th Summit between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) in Croatia and for an official visit to Croatia.

Premier Li Keqiang's wife Cheng Hong, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Director of the National Development and Reform Commission He Lifeng, and other delegation members left Beijing by the same plane.