North Korea’s Kim crosses new bridge into China as trade ties warm

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un journeyed to the Chinese border city of Dandong on Saturday, as reported by Xinhua, crossing a brand-new bridge in a symbolic gesture underscoring the deepening trade ties between Beijing and Pyongyang. Accompanying Kim was Wang Huning, a Chinese official of the fourth-highest rank, who conveyed messages on behalf of President Xi Jinping.

Kim traversed the New Yalu River Bridge, linking North Korea and China, which was flanked by spectators waving flags towards their homeland. Wang led Kim to a Korean War memorial in Dandong, where Kim honored Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers who fought alongside North Korea during the conflict. Kim also paid a visit to a Dandong automobile factory, as stated by Xinhua.

Christopher Green, a Korea specialist at Leiden University in the Netherlands, noted that the bridge's delayed opening highlighted the strained relationship between the two nations. Wang informed Kim that China was prepared to expand personnel exchanges and economic and trade cooperation by utilizing the bridge's opening, according to Xinhua.

A visit by Kim now aligns with the current phase of intensified economic ties and more frequent high-level exchanges between China and North Korea, according to Lu Chao, an expert in China-North Korea relations at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, a Chinese government think-tank in Shenyang. The bridge's opening has alleviated a major bottleneck in China-North Korea trade logistics, Lu added, potentially leading to a further surge in bilateral trade.

Kim's last known visit to China was in September 2025, when he attended the 80th Victory Day celebrations in Beijing and held a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi paid a state visit to North Korea in June. Despite US President Donald Trump's eagerness to restart talks with North Korea, US and South Korean officials believe the chances of Trump meeting Kim this year are dwindling. China is set to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum next month in Shenzhen, where Trump is expected to participate.