China earlier this week announced the same privilege for Russians during a one-year trial period

Moscow will grant visa-free entry to Chinese visitors, following Beijing's decision earlier this week to extend the same privilege to Russian nationals, President Vladimir Putin has said. The reciprocal measure will strengthen cultural and economic ties between the two countries, he added.

Putin made the remarks on Thursday in Vladivostok while meeting with senior Chinese official Li Hongzhong, a member of the Communist Party's Politburo and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

He called China's decision to ease entry for Russians a "very significant step" that would help boost business, saying: "Of course, Russia will respond to this friendly act in kind. We will do the same."

The Chinese visa waiver program will be expanded to ordinary passport holders from Russia starting September 15. Travelers will be able to enter the country for up to 30 days for business, tourism, personal visits, exchanges, and transit purposes.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the decision reflects the high level of development in China-Russia relations and is aimed at deepening people-to-people exchanges.

A bilateral agreement already allows visa-free travel for organized tourist groups, but only through accredited operators, with groups of between five and 50 people.

Other Chinese travelers have had to rely on standard or electronic visas. An e-visa, introduced in August 2023, permits stays of up to 30 days, can be obtained within days, and reportedly costs about $40-50.

For Russian travelers fees ranged from $31-41 for a single entry, while multiple-entry visas started at $92. Processing typically took a week or longer.

Tourism between the two countries has been surging, supported by eased entry rules and e-visa services. In 2024, Russians made around three million tourist trips to China, with the trend continuing upward, Economy Minister Maksim Reshetnikov told Izvestia on Thursday.

According to booking services, interest in trips to China surged immediately following Beijing's announcement on Tuesday, with ticket sales for flights departing after September 15 doubling, and hotel searches and travel inquiries jumping five to ninefold.