An aerial photo captures from Heihe, Northeast China"s Heilongjiang Province, overlooking a city in the Russian Far East across the Heilongjiang River. Photo: VCG

　　Following reviews in mid-2026, the mutual visa-free policy between China and Russia was extended through the end of 2027. It is an important measure to warm China-Russia ties at the grassroots level.

　　A year ago, on September 15, 2025, Chinese authorities announced a one‑year pilot allowing Russian citizens to enter the country visa‑free for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges, and transit. The pilot was initially scheduled to run through 14 September 2026. Two and a half months later, on December 1, the Russian side reciprocated, turning the experimental visa-free initiative into a new bilateral border scope.

　　I recall quite vividly all the painstaking procedures associated with obtaining a standard single-entry Chinese visa in Moscow. Quite often, a visit to the center could take not two or three hours, but the whole day. The center staff was usually very supportive and helpful, but they had to follow the rules. I am sure that getting a single-entry Russian visa in Beijing was not much easier.

　　What are the immediate outcomes of the changed regulations for the human interaction between the two nations? The overall number of border crossings has increased more than significantly. In the first half of 2026, two-way tourist flows increased to 1.5 times the previous level. Russian tourist flows to China practically doubled, making Russia China"s second-largest source of foreign visitors. On the other hand, from January to March of 2026, China remained the top supplier of foreign tourists in Russia.