Chinese President Hu Jintao left Beijing on April 12 by special plane for the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit on April 12-13 in Washington at the invitation of the U.S. President Barack Obama. After the nuclear meeting, Hu will attend the second summit of the BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - scheduled for April 15- 16 in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia. At the invitation of President Lula of Brazil, President Chavez of Venezuela and President Pinera of Chile, Hu will pay a state visit to Brazil and Venezuela respectively from April 14 to 17 and from April 17 to 18 and make a working visit to Chile on April 18.
Hu's entourage includes 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 of the National Development and Reform Commission Zhang Ping; Minister of Industry and Information Technology Li Yizhong; Commerce Minister Chen Deming; Vice Foreign Ministers Li Jinzhang and Cui Tiankai and Director of the President's Office Chen Shiju.