New China-N. Korea bridge to open Thurs., 12 yrs after completion: Xinhua

After a 12-year delay, the New Yalu River Bridge will finally open on Thursday, connecting China's Dandong city with North Korea's Sinuiju. This major transportation link, originally scheduled for a 2014 opening, was postponed due to incomplete road connections, customs and logistics facilities on North Korea's side, strained relations, and Covid-related border closures.

The bridge, reported to handle up to 80% of trade between the two countries, will replace the aging Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which currently restricts truck weights to under 20 tonnes and only has one lane. Diplomatic ties between China and North Korea have recently warmed, with passenger rail services and direct commercial flights between Beijing and Pyongyang resuming.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea in June, following Kim Jong-un's visit to Beijing in September. This strategic move aligns with North Korea's rapid expansion of land connections with Russia, including the opening of a road bridge over the Tunmen River last month. Such developments may enable North Korea to further integrate economically with its neighbors, according to Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies.