Russia–China tourism flow grows 50% in first half of 2026

Tourist exchanges between Russia and China increase by 50 per cent in the first half of 2026, supported by the development of bilateral economic ties and the introduction of visa-free travel arrangements. The growth of tourism is becoming one of the key areas of Russia–China cooperation alongside trade, investment and infrastructure projects.

Russian Minister of Economic Development Maksim Reshetnikov highlighted the progress of bilateral cooperation, as reported by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. According to him, relations between the two countries are moving beyond traditional trade growth towards deeper cooperation in investment, production and infrastructure.

China remains one of Russia’s leading trade partners. For three consecutive years, bilateral trade turnover has remained at around US$200 billion. Russia is among China’s five largest partners and serves as a major supplier of energy resources, food products and raw materials to the Chinese market. In the first seven months of 2026, bilateral trade reached a record level, increasing by almost 24 per cent. Mutual trade relations are supported by settlements in national currencies, which account for nearly 100 per cent of transactions.

“Plan 2030 has created a strong foundation for the qualitative expansion of trade and economic ties. There are all grounds to believe that by the end of the decade, bilateral trade will reach US$300 billion,” said Maksim Reshetnikov.

Tourism cooperation is also expanding. Following the decision by the leaders of Russia and China to introduce visa-free travel for citizens of both countries, tourist flows increased by 1.5 times in the first half of 2026. Russia is developing infrastructure and services for Chinese visitors, including accommodation facilities, tourist attractions and products adapted to their needs. More than 80 hospitality facilities, including hotels and airports, have received certification under the China Friendly standard.

The participants identified large-scale tasks for the Subcommittee on Trade and Economic Cooperation. Future work will focus on three main areas.

The first is implementing agreements reached by the leaders of both countries. The sides plan to accelerate the implementation of Plan 2030 and intensify efforts to remove barriers in trade, investment and financial cooperation, including expanding access for Russian agricultural products and pellets to the Chinese market.

The second area involves entering new promising sectors. Cooperation is expected to expand into platform economies, cross-border e-commerce, trade in services and artificial intelligence.

The third direction focuses on strengthening cooperation within multilateral organisations. Russia and China agreed to coordinate efforts and defend their interests at major international platforms, including the United Nations, the G20, the World Trade Organisation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS and APEC.