Chinese Ambassador: China and Russia are advancing joint efforts on mutual integration of mobile payment systems, among other areas
Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui stated that China and Russia are working together on the mutual integration of mobile payment systems, optimizing communication tariffs, and improving transportation infrastructure.
According to him, the rapid increase in two-way passenger traffic following the implementation of the visa-free regime has brought challenges in overcoming systemic barriers.
Speaking to *Izvestia*, he said that it is necessary to bridge the "last mile" in areas such as mobile payments, roaming services, and ticketing. Looking ahead, China remains optimistic. We have jointly decided to promote the mutual integration of mobile payment systems, optimize communication tariffs, and improve transportation infrastructure. I believe that in the near future, citizens of both countries will be able to travel in the most comfortable way possible, and the visa-free policy will become the most tangible manifestation of our friendly interaction in a new era.
Zhang Hanhui added that specific measures to address these issues have already been agreed upon during the 24th interdepartmental consultation on consular affairs between China and Russia.
He further noted that airports and tourism facilities in both countries are actively promoting multilingual infrastructure: more Chinese signage is appearing in Russia, while China is increasing Russian-language information services and ticketing systems.
In September 2025, China will implement a 30-day visa-free policy for Russian citizens, valid for one year; Russia followed suit by introducing a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens in December. In May this year, China announced its decision to extend the visa-free policy until December 31, 2027. On July 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a presidential decree extending the visa-free entry policy for Chinese citizens until December 31, 2027.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874719775625280/
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