China and North Korea to open New Yalu River Bridge today

China and North Korea are set to officially open the New Yalu River Bridge for traffic on Thursday, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. The bridge, which China completed constructing in 2014, was intended to strengthen economic ties between the two nations. However, North Korea had left the construction of its side of the bridge unfinished for several years, as relations deteriorated following China’s support of UN sanctions in response to Pyongyang’s nuclear tests.

Last year, the value of China’s exports to North Korea reached a six-year high of $2.3 billion, marking a 25 percent increase from the previous year. In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid an unprecedented visit to Pyongyang, marking his first trip to the country since 2019. Since 2018, Beijing has made efforts to repair diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, which also began improving ties with Washington around the same time.

The China-North Korea relationship has its roots in the Korean War, with the two countries signing the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in 1961. This treaty remains China’s only formal military alliance. Although China had historically been North Korea’s primary diplomatic partner and protector, relations deteriorated after Beijing backed tighter sanctions on Pyongyang in 2017 due to its nuclear weapons program.

Analysts suggest that North Korea’s growing relationship with Russia may have reduced its reliance on China diplomatically. In 2024, North Korea and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty.