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China's visa-free waiver to Russia likely to be extended past 2026 — expert

Andrey Bystritsky expressed confidence that the measure would help the tourist flow "grow faster"

MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/. It’s a good bet that visa-free travel for Chinese citizens to Russia will be extended past the September 14, 2026 expiration date, Andrey Bystritsky, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for the Development and Support of the Valdai International Discussion Club, said.

Earlier on Monday, a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin was published, according to which Chinese citizens will be able to come to Russia for up to 30 days without visas until September 14, 2026.

"All this is being done to increase tourist flows, to make the process easier and simpler for citizens," Bystritsky told TASS in an interview.

"The decree of the Russian president is in answer to the decision taken by the Chinese authorities in September. They introduced this regime for a year. In this case, [Russia] has made sure that both solutions are symmetrical. We can confidently say that you can expect with optimism that the validity of these Russian and Chinese decrees and orders will be extended."

He said he was sure that the measure will help the tourist flow "grow faster. This is a clear sign that Russian-Chinese relations are strengthening, including at such a democratic, popular level."

The presidential decree comes into force on the date of its signing - December 1. In early autumn, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China would introduce a trial 30-day visa-free regime for Russians starting on September 15.

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