BEIJING - Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Tuesday for official visits to Vietnam and Thailand.

Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was invited by the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, Vietnamese Vice-President Nguyen Thi Doan and the government of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Xi's entourage includes Wang Jiarui, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Zhang Zhijun, vice-foreign minister, Zhu Zhixin, vice-chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, Wang Qinfeng, deputy head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, Chen Jian, vice-minister of commerce, and Shi Zhihong, deputy director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee.

Xi is scheduled to visit Vietnam from Dec 20 to 22, and to Thailand from Dec 22 to 24, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.