Translation. Region: Russian Federal
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, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) — The cruise ship "Spectrum of the Seas" docked at Shanghai's Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal on Sunday with more than 4,600 passengers on board, with Russians accounting for the largest proportion of foreign nationals, chinanews.com reported, citing data from Shanghai's Pujiang Border Control Bureau.
According to border control data, there were more than 2,500 foreign tourists on board the aforementioned vessel. This marks the first time that the proportion of foreign passengers on a cruise ship departing and arriving from the Shanghai International Cruise Terminal has exceeded 50 percent since the terminal reopened.
Russians accounted for more than one-third of the cruise's foreign passengers, with the ship's total international guest population reaching over 40 countries and regions. The United Kingdom and Australia were also among the top three sources of foreign passengers.
As a reminder, China has introduced a trial visa-free regime for Russian citizens holding regular passports from September 15, 2025 to September 14, 2026.
Russian citizens holding valid regular passports may visit China visa-free for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanging visits, and transit purposes, provided their stay in China does not exceed 30 days.
In the first week since this policy came into effect, customs clearance for Russian tourists has significantly improved, and the procedures have become more convenient, the border service reported, adding that thanks to various visa-free regimes, the "airplane plus cruise ship" travel model is becoming increasingly popular: foreign tourists first arrive by plane in hub cities like Shanghai and then transfer to a cruise ship to continue their journey by sea.
According to the border service, from January 1 to September 18, 2025, the number of foreign tourists arriving in China and embarking on cruises from Shanghai increased by approximately 77 percent compared with the same period last year. -0-
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