Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, August 31, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek on Monday (August 31, 2026) and discussed a visa-free regime between the two countries, besides exchanging views on international and regional issues of common concern.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit 2026 being held in Bishkek.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and China’s President Xi Jinping attend a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
| Photo Credit:
AP
Mr. Putin said Russia is ready to work with China to make the visa-free regime between the two countries permanent if Beijing considers this possible and useful.
“We are ready to work together to make the visa-free regime permanent if the Chinese side considers this possible and useful,” Mr. Putin told Mr. Xi, according to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.
He noted that visa-free travel had helped increase tourist flows between the countries by 43 per cent in the first half of the year.
On December 1, 2025, Mr. Putin signed a decree to enable Chinese citizens to enter Russia for up to 30 days without a visa until September 14, 2026, based on the principle of reciprocity.
Previously, China introduced a similar visa-free regime for Russians.
Subsequently, both parties extended the right to enter visa-free until the end of 2027.
Mr. Xi told Mr. Putin that under their strategic guidance and through the joint efforts of both sides, the foundation of China-Russia relations will become ever stronger, their progress ever steadier, and their future ever brighter.
He said that the international landscape is witnessing a notable increase in uncertain and unpredictable factors, against the backdrop of accelerating profound changes unseen in a century.
But the pursuit of people across the world of peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes remains unchanged, he told the Russian President, China’s State-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Published – August 31, 2026 08:16 pm IST
