China to allow visa-free travel for Russians on 'trial basis' after Xi-Putin meet

China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that it will extend visa-free travel to ordinary passport holders from Russia on a trial basis.

This comes after talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Beijing, a day after the Tianjin SCO Summit 2025.

The visa exemption will be for a year from September 15, with a maximum period for entry to China set at 30 days.

During their bilateral meeting in Beijing on Tuesday ahead of a massive military parade, Putin told Xi Jinping that their countries' ties were at an "unprecedented level".

According to a pooled live feed, Putin told his Chinese counterpart that "our close communication reflects the strategic nature of Russian-Chinese ties, which are currently at an unprecedented level."

In a nod to cooperation between the two countries during the war, Putin said, "We were always together then, and we remain together now."

The Chinese and Russian leaders criticised Western governments during the SCO summit in Tianjin on Monday. Xi slammed "bullying behaviour" from certain countries—a veiled reference to the United States.

At the same time, Putin defended Russia's Ukraine offensive and blamed the West for triggering the conflict.

The military parade on Wednesday marks 80 years since the end of World War II and will be attended by around two dozen world leaders, including North Korea's Kim Jong-un, who is visiting China for the first time since 2019.

Lee Seong-kweun, a South Korean member of parliament briefed by Seoul's spy agency, told reporters that Kim is expected to mingle with other world leaders at a gala performance and meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin for talks.

Putin is also expected to meet with the Slovakian Prime Minister, Robert Fico.

Fico has irked European leaders by criticising the bloc's support for Ukraine and resisting efforts to cut energy imports from Russia. Slovakia is highly reliant on Russian gas.