According to an analysis by Russian news agency Sputnik, China’s visa-free pilot policy for Russian citizens has driven a surge in travel, with a record 746,000 trips made in the fourth quarter of 2025, a nearly 40% increase YoY. The policy, effective since September 15, 2025, allows Russians to stay in China for up to 30 days without a visa for tourism, business, family visits, or transit. Tourism trips rose by nearly a third to 396,000, while personal visits jumped 80% to 231,000. Business travel saw a slight 4% decline. For the full year, total trips from Russia reached 2.47 million, the second-highest level since 2019.

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