VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA – Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to “reciprocate” China’s recent “friendly gesture” of letting Russian people travel without a visa. Putin said at a meeting with Li Hongzhong, a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, that Moscow will make it easier for Chinese citizens to get visas. This news comes right after China’s foreign ministry said that Russians with regular passports will be able to travel without a visa for a year, with a maximum stay of 30 days.
Putin, who was in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and the Chinese triumph parade, talked about how “unprecedentedly high” the relationship is with his “dear friend,” Chinese President Xi Jinping. He said that Russia and China were “together back in the days of World War II” and “remain together now.” This was supported by the fact that they had just signed several agreements, including one to develop another natural gas pipeline.
Starting September 15, Russian residents will not need a visa to enter China. This is meant to increase tourism and business between the two countries. It is an extension of an existing agreement between two countries that lets organized tourist groups travel without a visa. The new policy also applies to individual travelers, which is a big step toward making travel between the two countries easier. Some experts think that the decision would lead to a 30–40% increase in the number of tourists going from Russia to China. The Russian tourism industry has already welcomed it.
Russia has already made it easier for Chinese tourists to get in. In August 2023, Moscow started using an electronic visa system that lets anyone remain for up to 30 days. This new reciprocal move, on the other hand, is a bigger step toward making travel easier.
Both China and Russia see the deepening of their connections as a strategic move in a geopolitical atmosphere where the U.S. and its allies are posing problems. This is shown by the new travel arrangements and other economic and political alliances.