China and North Korea opened a new four-lane road bridge on Thursday, completing a project delayed for 12 years that is expected to improve trade and strengthen economic ties between Beijing and Pyongyang.
Hundreds of people gathered in the Chinese border city of Dandong to watch the opening of the 3,026-metre New Yalu River vehicle bridge. Trucks carrying the flags of both countries began crossing in both directions late in the morning, with some North Korean vehicles decorated with flowers.
China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and a key diplomatic and economic supporter. The new crossing is expected to make the movement of goods easier between the neighbours, whose relationship has experienced periods of tension despite their longstanding ties.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said the bridge represented the friendship between the two countries and marked a new stage in their relationship.
“Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, the successful opening of the bridge will not only strongly boost economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, but will also further facilitate people-to-people exchanges and tighten the bonds of affection between the two peoples,” Li said by video link at the opening ceremony, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.
The bridge was completed in 2014, but its opening was delayed because connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side were not ready, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.
North Korea also sealed its borders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Train services between the two countries resumed in March after a six-year suspension.
The new bridge will provide an alternative to the ageing Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which carries both road and rail traffic across the Yalu River. Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University, said the existing crossing had created difficulties for transporting heavy cargo, including industrial machinery, raw materials, construction supplies and energy-related products.
The new route is expected to make such shipments safer and more efficient, potentially increasing cargo traffic between the countries.
For residents of Dandong, the opening also raised hopes of stronger local business activity. One woman who attended the event told AFP that the project could bring economic benefits after more than a decade of delays. Local resident Yu Shuyan said she hoped living standards in North Korea would improve.
Regional ties and strategic competition
The opening comes about a month after North Korea and Russia inaugurated a road bridge, highlighting Pyongyang’s efforts to strengthen relations with Moscow.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has deepened ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including by sending troops and conventional weapons to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. Analysts say the relationship has brought North Korea military and economic assistance.
However, Kim has also moved to improve relations with China, which remains central to North Korea’s economy. About 98 per cent of North Korea’s external trade was conducted with China last year, according to the figures cited in reports.
Beijing is seeking to maintain its influence over Pyongyang, while North Korea has yet to resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens, who previously accounted for much of its foreign tourism.
South Korea’s unification ministry said Seoul was closely monitoring developments surrounding the new bridge.
