North Korea and China open new bridge after 12-year delay
China and North Korea have opened the New Yalu River Bridge after a 12-year delay, signaling a potential thaw in trade relations. While the bridge is expected to facilitate commerce, experts remain skeptical about a major increase in trade due to ongoing UN sanctions.
Why it matters
The bridge serves as a symbolic and physical infrastructure project that could strengthen the economic lifeline between Beijing and Pyongyang.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Koh Ewe and Julianna Khan Getty Images The New Yalu River Bridge spans 3km (1.9 miles) from the Chinese border city of Dandong to Sinuiju in North Korea A long-delayed road bridge linking China and North Korea has opened, Chinese state media report, as trade ties improve between the neighbours.
China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a lifeline against heavy international sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.
The New Yalu River Bridge spans 3km (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 them.
Its launch, initially slated for 2014, had been indefinitely postponed after North Korea halted construction of its roads and customs facilities, as relations with Beijing turned frosty.
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