Xi leaves for Sochi ceremony

President Xi Jinping is scheduled to leave Beijing on Thursday to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

It is the first time for a Chinese president to attend a major overseas sports event, signaling China's strong support for the Olympics and Russia's efforts to host the games.

It is also the second consecutive year that Xi has made Russia his first overseas trip of the year, which reflects the "uniqueness" of the Sino-Russia relationship, according to Chinese ambassador to Russia Li Hui.