Russia will allow Chinese citizens to visit without visas for up to 30 days for tourism or business, under a new decree signed by President Vladimir Putin. The policy will be in effect from December 1, 2025, through September 14, 2026. This move reciprocates China’s visa-free policy for ordinary Russian passport holders, which took effect two months ago for a one-year trial. Tourism between the two countries has grown rapidly. In 2024, Chinese visits to Russia reached 848,000, more than doubling YoY, while Russians made about 3 million trips to China. Popular Russian destinations for Chinese tourists include Moscow’s Red Square, St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace, Murmansk, and Lake Baikal.