The Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal on Friday welcomed its first international cruise ship of the year at the North Bund, with hundreds of foreign travelers disembarking to explore the east China metropolis.
The luxury cruise ship 'Seven Seas Explorer' set sail from the Philippines on February 28 carrying more than 680 passengers from across the globe, with Shanghai being its fourth port of call during its voyage.
After docking, passengers gradually descended the gangway, pausing to admire the iconic landmarks lining both banks of Shanghai's Huangpu River.
At the immigration inspection hall, foreign travelers completed entry procedures before beginning a two-day, one-night tour of the city. Significantly, 99 percent of them qualified for China's 15-day visa-free policy for international cruise tour groups.
During their stay, visitors will take part in guided city tours and sample local delicacies and beverages, experiencing Shanghai's cultural and culinary highlights firsthand.
"It is wonderful, China is beautiful. Shanghai is a wonderful city," said a foreign tourist. "It is our first time. We don't have a [visa]. I don't have a visa, so we're traveling through the ship with them. Anything that helps us come into China is good for us as far as I'm concerned," another foreign tourist said.
With the arrival of the "Seven Seas Explorer", Shanghai’s cruise terminals are poised for a new peak in international arrivals. The Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal is scheduled to host 20 cruise ship calls in 2026, underscoring the city’s growing role as a gateway for global maritime tourism.
The National Immigration Administration (NIA) has implemented a visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups entering China via cruise ships since May 2024, with the measure aimed at boosting exchanges and supporting the growth of China's tourism industry.
Shanghai welcomes first int'l cruise ship of 2026
The 10th China-Russia Expo opened on Sunday in Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China, highlighting the resilience, vitality and mutual benefits of China-Russia economic ties.
Held from May 17 to 21, this year's expo covers a floor space of 55,000 square meters, with more than 1,500 companies from 46 countries and regions taking part. Nearly 300 Russian companies are attending, while over 5,000 buyers are expected.
Since 2014, the event has attracted more than 7,200 Chinese and Russian companies and over a million visitors.
The China-Russia Expo is the largest comprehensive exhibition platform between the two countries.
President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin each sent congratulatory letters to the event, encouraging all sectors from both countries to seize the opportunity, make full use of their geographical proximity and economic complementarity, and further expand all-round practical cooperation.
"Leaders of the two countries have signed agreements to deepen practical cooperation, which we fully support. Russia and China stand side by side for common development, benefiting young people and all people. Such cooperation is timely and far-reaching. We are here in Harbin for the China-Russia Expo, coming from Russia's Sakha Republic. Our region is dominated by agriculture. We are seeking advanced farming technologies including irrigation equipment and harvesters. We hope to reach deals in the coming days to boost local development," said Vasiliy Petrovich Alexeev, head of Ust-Aidan Region of the Russian Federation.
"We are greatly inspired by the congratulatory letters from the heads of state of China and Russia. We will keep building targeted and efficient cooperation platforms, and smooth channels for sub-national exchanges between China and Russia," said Chen Shijun, president of Heilongjiang Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
China-Russia trade volume has surpassed 200 billion U.S. dollars for three consecutive years. China has been Russia's largest trading partner for 16 years running.
In the first quarter of this year, bilateral trade volume hit 60 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of more than 14 percent.
This year's Expo features eight major exhibition zones. Beyond the exhibition halls, Russian delegations have also conducted field visits to Chinese companies. A delegation from the Republic of Buryatia visited one of northeast China's largest building materials distribution centers to explore potential areas of cooperation.
"Regular China-Russia economic and trade events continuously bring fresh cooperation opportunities for both sides. This field trip to Xilong Building Materials Market has helped us explore more practical directions and modes for bilateral cooperation," said Alexei Tsydenov, head of the Republic of Buryatia of the Russian Federation.
"Relying on Buryatia's abundant mineral resources and sound logistics conditions, we plan to build industrial parks focusing on home building materials, mineral resources and energy sectors in Russia. We will introduce advanced Chinese technologies and management models to drive coordinated industrial upgrading between the two countries," said Wu Jinrong, vice president of Harbin Xilong International Trade and Logistics Park.
From everyday consumer goods to advanced helicopters, and from mineral resources to intelligent robotics, China-Russia cooperation now spans a wide range of sectors. Economic ties and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries continue to advance toward higher-quality development and broader prospects.
China-Russia Expo promotes trust, cooperation, mutual benefit
