A long-delayed road bridge linking China and North Korea has officially opened, according to Chinese state media, as trade ties between the two neighbors improve. The New Yalu River Bridge spans 3 km (1.9 miles) from the Chinese border city of Dandong to Sinuiju in North Korea, and is set to become the main land route for trade between the two countries.
Background
The bridge's launch was initially slated for 2014, but construction was halted indefinitely after North Korea stopped work on its roads and customs facilities due to deteriorating relations with Beijing. In a video address on Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang described the bridge as a "new landmark symbolising the traditional friendship between China and North Korea," stating that the two nations are "opening a new chapter" in their bilateral ties.
Significance of the Bridge
The New Yalu River Bridge serves as an alternative to the decades-old Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which was built between 1937 and 1943 during Imperial Japan's occupation of the region. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, emphasized that the new bridge is an "important facility for connectivity" between the two countries, which will "further facilitate trade and people-to-people exchanges."
Last year, bilateral trade reached $2.7 billion, marking a recovery to pre-pandemic levels, primarily driven by Chinese exports to North Korea. However, Kang Jun-young, a professor of Chinese studies at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, noted that a sharp increase in trade across the border is "unlikely" as UN sanctions on North Korea remain in effect. He added, "Pyongyang is also wary of a sudden flood of Chinese imports that would greatly expand China's influence over its domestic market."
