President Xi Jinping returned to China on Friday after attending the 15th BRICS Summit and paying a state visit to South Africa.

Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and foreign minister, were on the same plane.

Upon Xi's departure Thursday night local time, South Africa's International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor and other senior government officials saw him off at the airport.