BEIJING, July 2 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Tuesday morning for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana, and state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan and President Emomali Rahmon of the Republic of Tajikistan.

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, and Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and foreign minister.