China-Russia visa-free policies serve common interests, Foreign Ministry says

Following Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement that a visa-free travel mechanism for Chinese citizens visiting Russia would take effect in the near future, Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Beijing attaches great importance to facilitating people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

At a regular press conference on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that as each other's largest neighbors, the mutual visa exemption between China and Russia will further enhance people-to-people exchanges and serve the common interests of both nations.

China had previously decided to implement a trial visa exemption policy, effective from Sept 15, 2025, to Sept 14, 2026, which allows Russian ordinary passport holders to enter China without a visa for such purposes as business, tourism, sightseeing, visiting relatives, exchanges, and transit, with the stipulation that the stay does not exceed 30 days.