Another big move from the EU! The 19th round of sanctions against Russia is brewing a controversial proposal- Banned entry of Russian touristsBrussels is uncompromising about this, and member states are working for their own interests.
On the one hand, Poland and the Baltic states raised the moral flag, claiming that "the Russians can't enjoy the pleasure of the European vacation while their troops are killing in Ukraine"; on the other hand, the tourism power in Southern Europe hurried to jump - Italy, Spain, Greece, countries that make money from tourism, do not want to give up Russian tourists.
The European Union has been discussing a ban on Russian tourists' entry.
The latest news is, The European Union is likely to take a medium plan: to set a visa quota for Russian tourists, raise the application threshold, and raise consular fees.This trick, which appears to be the fifty tables, actually exposes the difficult contradictions within the EU – both to demonstrate the unity of support for Ukraine and not to give up tangible economic interests.
Poland’s subsequent proposal has caused a wave of alarm: prohibiting Russian diplomats from freely operating in the Schengen area, which is equivalent to “house arrest” of diplomats, which is rare in the history of international diplomacy.
At the end of August, Putin went to Beijing, where he not only participated in the 80th anniversary parade of the victory in the war, but also successfully opened a window to the east in the context of the increased layer of European and American sanctions.
Before leaving Beijing, Putin received a “great gift” – China introduced a visa-free policy for Russia.
Putin receives visa-free package from China
For Russians, mutual visa exemption not only means more travel destinations, but also reflects the sincerity and goodwill of friendly countries.They don’t need to think about spending time and effort to apply for a complex travel permit, just need a passport, a plane ticket, can start a unique trip to China.
For the Chinese side, the visa-free policy is not only aimed at increasing tourism income and promoting economic cooperation, but also a bridge that bridges the hearts of the two peoples.According to the data, within one week after the policy was announced, the search volume of Russian air tickets to China soared by 300%, and the registration volume of Russian users on travel software increased by 150%.
In the eyes of China, this step has a profound strategic significance. Through more frequent exchanges of people, it can help people of both sides to deepen their understanding and reduce misunderstandings.
Many Russians are visiting China.
The fine feature of this policy lies in its two-way nature. Russia soon announced reciprocal measures against Chinese citizens, which means that a more convenient "personnel flow channel" has emerged between China and Russia.
It can be said that this China-Russia mutual visa exemption move is not only an increase in travel facility, but a real diplomatic breakthrough. It reflects the strengthening of mutual trust between the high-level leaders of the two countriesIt can be foreseen that China and Russia will have the opportunity to cooperate in more fields and at a deeper level to win-win.
There are two distinct philosophies of international relations: On the one hand, the mobility of people is used to build a wall, and on the other hand, the visa-free policy is used to bridge the bridge.The EU's visa restriction policy is essentially an extension of "sanctions thinking". History tells us that when the door to people's exchanges is closed, the door to misunderstanding and hostility will open.
[Italy and other countries are reluctant to shut out Russian tourists]
Putin said that this is not only a way to facilitate tourism, but also to promote business development, trade and personal exchanges. The data showed that the visa-free policy has just been implemented, the traffic of Chinese-Russian border ports has increased significantly, the number of bilateral small and medium-sized enterprises negotiations has increased significantly, and even the users of language learning apps have grown.
When the EU discussed whether to set a quota for Russian tourists, China's visa-free policy has enabled tens of thousands of Russian businessmen to participate smoothly in various events; when the European hotel industry was saddened by the loss of Russian tourists, hotels in Harbin and Sanaa hanged Russian-language signs and recruited Russian fronts.
The landslide of visa-free policy will raise China-Russia cooperation to another level
The game around the movement of people is essentially a big discussion about “Where is Globalization Going?” and the West is trying to build an exclusive circle of visa arms, while the East is pushing for more inclusive connections with visa-free policies. It can be assured that while the EU is still debating the visa issue, China-Russia has written a distinctive note with practical action.