China is now visa-free for Europeans: Take a high-speed train to futuristic cities and fabulous food : worldnews

[-] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 22 points 8 months ago

An interesting question is which side didn't want to have visa free travel. Entirely possible that the Russian government didn't want to make travel to China too easy.

[-] LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 8 months ago

It should be noted that Russia isn't marinated in sinophobic propaganda like Europe is. If combating that is part of the reason for increasing European visitors then it makes more sense.

[-] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 8 months ago

I agree, nothing cuts through the propaganda like people actually visiting and seeing the country with their own eyes. I wonder if this might also cause brain drain from Europe as economic situation continues to deteriorate.

[-] bennieandthez@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 8 months ago

Yes there are, the alliance is purely pragmatic due to geopolitical circunstamces. Ideologically russia is aligned with the west, but for some reason the current oligarchs in the west haven't moved on from cold war russophobia.

Putin constantly says so too. "we are as bourgeois as you, there is no communist party power here, let's negotiate."

Then again, it might just be lack of infrastructure to handle tourism coming from russia.

[-] Blinky_katt@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 8 months ago

It appears China and Russia are visa-free for each other's tour groups since 2023.

[-] Shrike502@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 8 months ago

That's funny, because I have specifically went looking for tours to China after reading this article (and again after reading your comment) and the visa requirements are there. There are supposedly some caveats: for example if one is flying transit through China, visiting Shanghai via a cruise ship or have residence permit.

Although I suspect you correct, judging by the amount of Chinese tourist groups in Moscow and Petersburg

[+] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io -9 points 8 months ago

[removed by mod]

[-] Giyuu@lemmygrad.ml 10 points 8 months ago

Why would say something like that about a country you know nothing about?

[-] DamarcusArt@lemmygrad.ml 17 points 8 months ago

It's alarming how quickly libs have gone from "Russia is the big existential evil in the world seconds away from destroying everything" to "actually Russia is a mindless puppet controlled by China!" Literal nazi propaganda with the names replaced. Terrifying.

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