China, North Korea to Open Yalu River Bridge After 12-Year Delay

China and North Korea will officially open the New Yalu River Bridge on Thursday, October 15, 12 years after its construction was completed, marking another step towards strengthening economic ties between the neighbouring countries. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday that the two countries would jointly hold an inauguration ceremony.

The 3,026-metre-long, four-lane bridge connects Dandong, in China’s northeastern Liaoning province, with Sinuiju in North Korea. Construction began in October 2011 and was completed in 2014, but the bridge remained unused for years because North Korea had not completed the necessary approach roads, customs facilities and other infrastructure on its side.

The opening was also delayed amid strained relations between Beijing and Pyongyang following North Korea’s nuclear tests and the United Nations sanctions that followed. The COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted cross-border movement.

The new crossing is expected to improve trade and transport links between the two countries and eventually replace the older Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, built in 1937, which has limited road capacity and allows only one-way vehicle traffic at a time.

Preparations for the opening have gathered pace in recent weeks. Vehicles were spotted crossing the new bridge in September, while signs of activity at border facilities and the completion of infrastructure on the North Korean side fuelled expectations that it would soon become operational.

The development comes as China and North Korea seek to strengthen bilateral relations. At a summit in Pyongyang in June, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged to elevate ties to a strategic level and expand exchanges.

China remains North Korea’s largest trading partner and a crucial source of economic and diplomatic support. Chinese exports to North Korea rose 25 per cent in 2025 to $2.3 billion, reaching a six-year high, although trade remains below pre-2017 levels following international sanctions.

The bridge opening also follows North Korea’s recent inauguration of its first road bridge with Russia, highlighting Pyongyang’s efforts to expand transport and economic connections with both neighbours. However, the new crossing’s eventual impact will depend on how far cross-border trade and movement can expand.