President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed an executive order extending a Russian visa waiver program for Chinese citizens until the end of next year.
The program, which reciprocates China’s visa-free regime for Russians, was set to expire on Sept. 14 under a one-year trial.
Putin’s decree sets Dec. 31, 2027, as the new expiration date for the visa-free regime. The move mirrors Beijing’s extension of its visa-free regime for Russian passport holders in May.
Under the measure, Chinese passport holders are allowed to enter Russia without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism or work.
Putin has touted the mutual visa waiver as a major milestone in Russian-Chinese relations.
Besides the extended program, Russian and Chinese group tours are already allowed to travel without visas, while Beijing allows Russian travelers in transit to stay up to 10 days without a visa.
Relations between Russia and China have deepened since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since 2022, Putin has visited China each year as his country faces diplomatic isolation from Western powers.
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