The Russian National Tourist Office reports that it has opened a rescue center for Chinese tourists to ensure their safety when traveling in Russia.

The director of the RNTO says that the center has Chinese-speaking staff working there providing 24-hour service to Chinese tourists who seek help from them. Earlier this year, Russia started a "No Boundary World" non-visa travel association to deal with the visa issues of Chinese tourists.

280,000 Chinese tourists went to Russia in 2004, but the figure declined to 200,000 in 2005. Experts say this was mainly because of the high-fare and insufficient safety measures in China's neighbor.