DANDONG, China — China and North Korea formally opened the long-delayed New Yalu River Bridge on Thursday, a 3 km (1.9-mile) crossing meant to become the main land trade route between Dandong and Sinuiju, BBC News and DW reported.
Construction finished around 2014, but North Korea long left its approach roads and customs unfinished as ties cooled; COVID border closures added further delay. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, in a video address, called the bridge a “new landmark” of friendship and said the countries were “opening a new chapter,” Xinhua via the BBC reported.
China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and a lifeline under U.N. sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme. Bilateral trade hit about $2.7 billion last year, near pre-pandemic levels, mostly Chinese exports. Experts told the BBC a sudden trade surge is unlikely while sanctions remain and while Pyongyang fears deeper Chinese market influence.
The new cable-stayed span is an alternative to the older Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge built under Japanese occupation. Train travel between the neighbours only restarted in March after six years; North Korea has still not resumed tourism visas for Chinese visitors, DW noted.
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