Putin says Russia ready to make visa-free travel with China permanent

Russia is ready to work with China to make visa-free travel between the two countries permanent, President Vladimir Putin said Monday.

"We are ready to work together to make the visa-free regime permanent, if the Chinese side considers this possible and useful," Putin said during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek.

Russia introduced a reciprocal visa-free regime for Chinese citizens in December 2025, allowing them to stay in Russia for up to 30 days without a visa through Sept. 14, 2026. China had previously introduced a similar arrangement for Russian citizens.

The two countries subsequently agreed to extend visa-free travel for their citizens through the end of 2027.

Putin said the visa-free arrangement had helped boost travel between the two countries, with tourist trips rising 43% in the first half of 2026.

Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said earlier that Chinese tourism to Russia had increased by almost 50% in the first quarter of 2026 following the introduction of visa-free travel.

The push to make visa-free travel permanent comes as Moscow and Beijing seek to deepen people-to-people and economic ties, with tourism forming part of broader bilateral cooperation.

Putin, Xi discuss bilateral cooperation

Putin and Xi, during the talks, praised the strength of bilateral ties and their cooperation within SCO.

Xi said the foundation of China-Russia relations would continue to strengthen, calling for closer coordination to promote peace, development and cooperation.

Putin said the countries’ comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation were a model of interstate relations based on sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit.

He highlighted growing economic ties, including energy, transport and agriculture, with agricultural trade up 34% year-on-year.

Separately, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Vesti media outlet that talks between the two leaders were held in a “constructive and friendly” atmosphere, noting that presidents trust each other and use this trust to discuss the most complex issues.

“The meeting (was) traditionally held in a very constructive and friendly atmosphere. Both Xi and Putin trust each other and use this mutual trust to address the most difficult issues,” he said.

Peskov said the Ukraine war was “discussed in passing, tangentially; there was no actual discussion as such.”