Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to Beijing on Thursday night after attending the 16th BRICS Summit.

Xi's entourage, including 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, returned on the same flight.

Russian officials saw Xi off at the airport in Kazan.