Published on: 2026-10-03
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Beijing, October 2 /Xinhua/ — In the 12 months since China launched the visa-free regime for Russians, about 617,000 Russian tourists have visited Heilongjiang Province (Northeast China), which is 76.9 percent more year-on-year. This was reported by the newspaper “Heilongjiang Daily” citing official data.
Recall that from September 15, 2025, to September 14, 2026, China has implemented a visa-free regime on a trial basis for Russian citizens holding ordinary foreign passports.
According to the report, thanks to the visa-free policy, the potential of Heilongjiang Province in the field of cross-border consumption and human exchanges continues to be revealed, and against this background, a service guarantee system based on interdepartmental cooperation is being established, covering the economy, trade, tourism, consumption, and other sectors.
The market regulatory authorities of three cities – Harbin, Heihe, and Suifenhe – had previously signed a framework agreement on strategic cooperation in the field of high-quality development of cross-border tourism between China and Russia. The corresponding work within the framework of the document will focus on establishing 228 consumer rights protection service points in the main tourist areas and commercial districts, which will be equipped with standardized signs in Chinese and Russian to provide Russian consumers with convenient services for protecting their rights.
In the city of Heihe, due to the absence of openly displayed prices, a dispute arose between the seller and a Russian tourist named Maxim, who later sought help from a similar service center. As a result, the Russian was reimbursed the full purchase price on the same day, and the conflict was resolved.
Regarding the increase in access for Russian enterprises to the Chinese market, a special service desk for investors from Russia was launched in Heilongjiang province, which reduced the time required for completing the relevant business registration procedures from 20 working days to half a day, allowing enterprises with foreign capital participation to start their activities in China more efficiently.
In addition, provincial cultural and tourism authorities facilitated the targeted alignment of supply and demand for tourist products, while health authorities expanded the availability of medical services for Russian citizens.
Recall that in December 2025, Russia also officially announced the launch of a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens, initially set to last until September 14, 2026. Earlier this year, China and Russia decided to extend the mutual visa-free regime until December 31, 2027. -0-
Please note; This information is raw content received directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.