China and North Korea have officially opened the New Yalu River Bridge, their most significant land border crossing, in a move aimed at revitalising bilateral trade and strengthening economic ties after years of strained relations and pandemic-related disruptions.
The 3-kilometre cable-stayed bridge, linking the Chinese city of Dandong with North Korea, became operational on Thursday as trucks decorated with the two countries’ national flags crossed the long-delayed facility.
The bridge, completed in 2014, had remained unused for more than a decade because North Korea had yet to complete the approach roads and customs facilities on its side of the border.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, in a video address at the opening ceremony, said bilateral relations were entering a new phase, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Li said the crossing would promote economic and trade cooperation, strengthen people-to-people exchanges and improve connectivity between the two countries.
He added that the facility would also provide opportunities to streamline border clearance procedures and enhance cooperation in border communities.
North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song also delivered a video address, Xinhua reported, although North Korea’s state media had yet to report the opening.
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The development marks another sign of improving relations between Beijing and Pyongyang following two summits between their leaders in the past year.
However, analysts say the opening is unlikely to result in an immediate return to trade levels recorded before the tightening of international sanctions against North Korea.
Lim Eul-chul of Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies said the bridge would facilitate the movement of heavy equipment, raw materials and energy products needed for North Korea’s development.
China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner, despite United Nations sanctions imposed over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and missile programmes.
China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, which approved sanctions resolutions against North Korea until 2017, have since questioned the legitimacy and effectiveness of the restrictions.
Russia has also faced accusations from the United States and South Korea of providing sensitive military assistance to North Korea in exchange for Pyongyang’s support in its war against Ukraine.
The opening is expected to benefit Dandong, whose economy grew in the early 2000s when the city served as the principal gateway for trade with North Korea.
The delay in completing the bridge had hampered economic activity in the Chinese border city.
Previously, most goods moved across the border through an older bridge about 10 kilometres upstream. The 83-year-old structure accommodates a railway line and a single-lane road and remains the busiest of approximately 15 crossing points along the 1,350-kilometre China-North Korea border.
Residents of Dandong welcomed the opening, expressing hope that the new crossing would stimulate business and attract more visitors.
A resident surnamed He, 50, said he was delighted to witness the opening after more than a decade of waiting.
Another resident, surnamed Xie, said the development would make the area livelier and attract tourists.
A South Korean Unification Ministry official described the opening as the first visible implementation of agreements reached during a June summit between the two countries’ leaders.
The official said Seoul was monitoring whether the development would lead to further practical measures as Beijing and Pyongyang sought to deepen their relationship into a more strategic partnership.
