Chinese President Hu Jintao left Beijing this afternoon for a state visit to Vietnam, Laos, India and Pakistan from Nov. 15 to 26.

While in Vietnam, Hu is also expected to attend the 14th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Informal Meeting to be held in Hanoi from Nov. 17 to 19.

Hu is to pay the state visit as guest of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh and Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet, General Secretary of Lao People's Revolutionary Party and Lao President Choummaly Sayasone, Indian President Abdul Kalam and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Vietnam, Laos, India and Pakistan are good neighbors of China and bilateral ties have maintained a good momentum of development, said assistant foreign minister Cui Tiankai prior to Hu's departure.

"Hu's upcoming visit will be of great significance and exert far-reaching impact on pushing forward relations between China and its four Asian neighbors," he said.

According to Cui, it is Hu's first ever visit to Vietnam and Laos after the two countries' ruling parties have their new leaders.

It is also the first visit by the top Chinese leader to India and Pakistan in a decade.

Hu is also scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President George W. Bush at the APEC summit in Vietnam, exchanging views on bilateral ties and on international and regional issues of shared concern.