China–North Korea bridge opens after a 12-year delay

The New Yalu River Bridge linking China and North Korea formally opened on Thursday, ending a 12-year delay for a crossing built to expand trade between the neighbours. Trucks lined up at the four-lane, three-kilometre bridge between Dandong and Sinuiju after an opening ceremony reported by Chinese and North Korean state media.

Construction began in 2010 and the bridge was expected to open in 2014, but it remained unused while supporting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side lagged. China’s foreign ministry confirmed that both countries had agreed to launch the crossing and said the project would facilitate movement and economic exchange.

China accounted for about 98% of North Korea’s recorded foreign trade in 2025. The older Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge carries most official commerce, so a modern road link could reduce a longstanding bottleneck and signal a renewed effort by Beijing and Pyongyang to strengthen ties.

The opening does not mean that bilateral trade will immediately return to levels seen before pandemic closures and international sanctions. Customs capacity, enforcement decisions and North Korea’s broader economic restrictions will determine how much traffic the new bridge actually carries.