CHINA-HEILONGJIANG-SUIFENHE-RUSSIA-CROSS-BORDER TOURISM (CN)

(260108) -- HARBIN, Jan. 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Passengers are pictured at a joint inspection hall of the Suifenhe highway port, in Suifenhe City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Jan. 8, 2026.

China announced on Sept. 2, 2025 a one-year trial of a 30-day visa-free policy for Russian nationals holding ordinary passports, which took effect on Sept. 15, 2025, while Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Dec. 1, 2025 allowing Chinese nationals to enter Russia visa-free for tourism or business purposes for a period not exceeding 30 days until Sept. 14, 2026.

Upon the mutual visa exemption implementation, cross-border tourism has thrived between China and Russia. Statistics show that from Jan. 1 to Jan. 7 of 2026, the number of foreign tourists entering and leaving Suifenhe port reached 10,007, registering an increase of 83 percent year on year. (Xinhua/Zhang Tao)