Russia and China are discussing a new procedure for crossing the border in private cars. The Russian Ministry of Transport is coordinating a draft bilateral agreement that will allow individuals to cross the border in passenger cars with a capacity of up to eight seats. This was stated by Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin.
It is assumed that five checkpoints will be available to motorists: "Zabaikalsk", "Starotsurukhaituisky", "Pogranichny", "Kraskino", and "Kani-Kurgan". According to Nikitin, there are no technical obstacles to organizing such traffic – the checkpoints are already ready for operation.
The main unresolved issue now is related to driver's licenses. The parties must determine how long Russian licenses will be recognized in China, and Chinese licenses in Russia. This mechanism needs to be enshrined in the agreement.
For motorists, the change could be significant: currently, traveling to China in one's own car requires compliance with separate procedures and is not a regular border crossing regime for private car owners. The new agreement should make such trips significantly easier.
However, the agreement has not yet been concluded, and the dates of its entry into force have not been announced. This is about negotiations and coordination of terms.