Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Beijing, January 7 (Xinhua) — Since September 2025, when China introduced a trial visa-free regime for Russians with regular passports, "weekend trips to Dongning" have become popular among them. Furthermore, visiting relatives living nearby on the other side of the Sino-Russian border has become fashionable for residents of both countries.
The Zhongguo Xinwenshe news agency website reports that, according to statistics, as of December 31, 2025, the number of Russian tourists entering and exiting China through the Dongning checkpoint (Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China) exceeded 32,000, an increase of 73.9 percent year-on-year.
The Dongning Port is located in a key area of the Northeast Asian trade and economic corridor and is China's closest land crossing to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. Over its 36-year development, the Dongning Port has become an important conduit for expanding Heilongjiang Province's ties with the outside world.
Following the introduction of visa-free travel for Russians, the city of Dongning developed a series of cultural and creative souvenirs, "Dongning Gifts," and launched tourism products that better meet the needs of Chinese and Russian tourists. In Dongning, the cultural tourism industry has become a key driver of economic growth and deepening people-to-people exchanges between China and Russia.
It's worth noting that since the dismantling of the toll booth in Dongning last year, it has not only saved time and money on cross-border visa-free travel but also reduced logistics and transportation costs. According to statistics, in the year since the toll booth's dismantling, 190,000 residents and over 3,000 trucks have benefited, resulting in savings of over 25 million yuan (approximately $3.56 million) in tolls for drivers and passengers.
In addition, Dongning City has also established an interdepartmental information exchange and coordination mechanism, and, taking into account the specific nature of visa-free passenger flow from Russia, customs clearance and inspection resources have been dynamically allocated to ensure orderly passage through the checkpoint.
As a reminder, China introduced a trial visa-free regime for Russian citizens holding regular passports from September 15, 2025, to September 14, 2026. Russian citizens holding valid passports can visit China under the visa-free regime for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanging visits, and transit. Their visa-free stay in China may not exceed 30 days.
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