BEIJING: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a decree granting visa-free entry to Russia for up to 30 days for several categories of Chinese citizens, including tourists, businesspeople, academics, artists, and athletes, according to multiple media reports. Some analysts said the move will further expand economic cooperation and deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, strengthening foundation for long-term development of China-Russia relations.
The visa-free announcement comes amid a year of sustained high-level exchanges, with China’s foreign minister Wang Yi set to visit Russia from Monday. Combined with the growing people-to-people interactions enabled by the mutual visa-free travel, these developments underscore deepening mutual trust as the two sides work to further strengthen security cooperation and inject stability into the region and the wider world, said observers.
Until September 14, 2026, citizens of the People’s Republic of China may enter and stay in Russia without a visa for up to 30 days. This opportunity is provided on a reciprocal basis and applies to visits for personal or business purposes, tourism, participation in scientific, cultural, socio-political, economic, and sporting events, as well as transit travel through the country. A valid passport of a PRC citizen serves as the basis for visa-free entry and exit, Russian news agency TASS reported on Monday, citing a Kremlin document.
China has decided to trial a visa-free policy for Russian citizens holding ordinary passports starting from September 15, 2025 to September 14, 2026, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on September 2. Russian citizens holding ordinary passports who come to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends or exchange visits and transit for no more than 30 days can enter China visa-free, spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference.
The mutual visa-free policy between China and Russia is facilitating travel and further boosting enthusiasm for exchanges and tourism, this will in turn expand economic cooperation and deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Wang Xiaoquan, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.
“People-to-people exchanges between China and Russia are expanding in both scale and depth, with public enthusiasm at an all-time high. The mutual visa-free arrangement is giving this momentum an even stronger boost. As these exchanges deepen, mutual understanding and affinity will continue to grow, solidifying the public support that underpins the long-term development of China-Russia relations,” said Wang Xiaoquan.
Several Chinese online travel agencies reported a surge in searches for Russian destinations on Monday. For example, online travel agency Tongcheng Travel said in a report sent to the Global Times on Monday that since November, the number of air ticket searches in China to Russia has continued to rise, with hotel bookings with Russia as the main destination increasing by more than 40 percent year-on-year.
From December 1 to 2, at the invitation of Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council Sergei Shoigu, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi is set to travel to Russia for the 20th round of China-Russia strategic security consultation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on November 28. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
