Putin, who was in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and the Chinese victory parade, said that Russia will also introduce a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens, Russian news agency TASS reported.

He made the remarks at a meeting with Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday said that it will extend visa-free travel to ordinary passport holders from Russia, a move that came after bilateral meetings between the two countries. The visa exemption will be for a year from September 15, with a maximum period for entry to China set at 30 days.

“Of course, Russia will reciprocate this friendly gesture. We will do the same,” Putin said at the meeting with the CPC member.

A bilateral agreement on a visa-free travel system for organised tourist groups is already in place between China and Russia. Reportedly, only accredited operators from both nations can organise tours, and the groups must consist of at least five and no more than 50 people.

Chinese tourists visit Russia on a regular or an electronic visa, the TASS report mentioned. Moscow introduced electronic visas in August 2023, entitling the holder to stay in the country for up to 30 days. Electronic visas can be obtained in a few days and cost about $40-50.

During a series of bilateral meetings in China on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin affirmed their ties as “old friends” against the backdrop of the challenges posed by the US tariffs.

Putin told his “dear friend” Xi that Russia’s ties with Beijing are at “an unprecedentedly high level”.

The Russian President said that Moscow and Beijing were together back in the days of World War II, when the Soviet Union provided assistance to China in its fight against Japan, and affirmed that they “remain together now”.

Reportedly, Putin and Xi also signed a memorandum to build another natural gas pipeline to China. The Russian state gas company also signed agreements with a Chinese state energy company to increase deliveries via existing routes.