Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Tuesday for the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Xi's entourage includes Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, as well as Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and foreign minister.