On August 25, 2008, Chinese President Hu Jintao left Beijing by special plane for state visits to the Republic of Korea (ROK), Tajikistan and Turkmenistan at the invitation of ROK President Lee Myung-bak, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon, and President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Hu will also attend the eighth annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to be held on Aug. 28 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan's capital.

Among those who accompanied President Hu Jintao on the visits were Ling Jihua, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee (CPCCC) and Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Huning, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee (CPCCC) and Director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor Dai Bingguo, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Chairman of the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) Zhang Ping, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming, Vice Foreign Minister Li Hui, Director of the President's Office Chen Shiju and Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue.