The mutual visa-free agreement between China and Russia fully embodies the high-level strategic mutual trust between the two countries and helps facilitate people-to-people exchanges, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.
Guo made the remarks in response to a media query about Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement on Monday that Russia is willing to work with China to make visa-free travel between the two countries permanent, when he met with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
"China-Russia mutual visa-free arrangement fully embodies the high-level strategic mutual trust between the two countries, helps facilitate their people-to-people exchanges, enhance friendship between the two peoples and boost cooperation across sectors," Guo said.
China announced in May that it would extend visa-free entry for Russian citizens through Dec 31, 2027, as part of efforts to facilitate people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Putin signed a decree in July also extending visa-free entry for Chinese citizens through Dec 31, 2027.
Mutual visa-free arrangement boosts China-Russia exchanges: spokesman
The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo will be held in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from September 17 to 21, featuring multiple innovative measures with a focus on trade, enterprises and applications, a Chinese official said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, Lu Xinning, vice governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, briefed the media on the key highlights and innovative arrangements of this year's expo.
This year, Timor-Leste will make its debut as a co-organizer, marking the first time all 11 ASEAN countries have gathered together in Nanning following the group's expansion.
A future space pavilion and a sci-tech innovation and entrepreneurship pavilion will be set up for the first time at the expo, with an upgraded AI section showcasing cutting-edge AI technologies and applications from consumer, enterprise, government and international perspectives.
"AI glasses, smart watches, AI home robots, rehabilitation care robots and photovoltaic cleaning robots can all be seen and tried on site. We have set up an 'AI marketplace' for the first time, selecting 60 companies with products suitable for ASEAN enterprises, offering more than 400 products that can all be experienced on site and ordered directly. This year's expo is not only a major platform for economic and trade exchanges, but also an experience venue for cutting-edge technologies," said Lu.
This year's expo will feature an upgraded ASEAN exhibition zone covering around 20,000 square meters, with comprehensive improvements in exhibition product structure, scale of participating countries and industrial cooperation levels, showcasing new achievements of China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, according to the expo secretariat.
To address exhibitors' biggest concerns about markets and orders, the expo has set up pavilions for ASEAN demands for the first time, showcasing the technological and application needs of ASEAN countries to help Chinese enterprises achieve precise connections.
The expo will also debut a model in which leading companies bring small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the event. Industry leaders will exhibit together with their upstream and downstream partners, helping SMEs expand their markets.
For ordinary visitors, this year's expo offers a richer product lineup and opportunities to experience high-tech products up close.
23rd China-ASEAN Expo to take place in September in Nanning with innovative features
