Crimean officials organize a reception for Chinese tourists visiting the peninsula
A group of Chinese tourists, representatives of think tanks and businesses came to the annexed Crimea for a vacation. On September 22, they met with the head of the Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov and the Speaker of the Russian Parliament of Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov.
This was reported by the press service of the Crimean parliament. The Chinese tourists came to "study the prospects of educational tourism, including a gastronomic program."
"I am ready to show our achievements in the field of tourism and to look for directions on which we could work together," said Aksyonov.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine previously stated that the trips of foreign politicians to the Crimea do not hold official status. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry published in July 2016 an appeal cautioning foreign citizens and stateless persons not to make illegal trips to the Crimea.
The internationally recognized Ukrainian territory of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in March of 2014 in the wake of the Ukrainian revolution. The Kremlin has faced international condemnation for its annexation of the Peninsula, leading many western countries to impose economic sanctions against Russia. In the United Nations, only Afghanistan, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Syria recognize Crimea as a legitimate federal subject of Russia.