At the invitation of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva, Chinese President Hu Jintao left Beijing by special plane on November 4 to pay state visits to France and Portugal.

The president'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 General Office of 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 (NDRC) Zhang Ping; Commerce Minister Chen Deming; Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying; and Director of the President's Office Chen Shiju.