Hundreds gathered today in the border city of Dandong, northern China, to witness the inauguration of a new road bridge spanning the Yalu River. Trucks bearing the national flags of both nations began traveling in both directions late this morning.

Le thong xe cau duong bo noi Trung Quoc - Trieu Tien ngay 15/10. Video: AFP

Chinese Premier Li Qiang stated the project symbolizes the friendship between Beijing and Pyongyang, asserting that relations between the two countries are "entering a new phase and opening a new chapter".

“Thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, the official opening of this bridge will not only promote economic and trade cooperation, but also facilitate people-to-people exchanges and strengthen the bonds between our two peoples,” Li said via video at the inauguration ceremony.

The 3,026-meter-long structure was completed in 2014, but its use was delayed because North Korea had not yet built connecting roads and customs facilities. North Korea also closed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic. Train services between the two countries only resumed in March, after a six-year hiatus.

Many residents expressed relief that the bridge was finally in use, despite being 12 years behind schedule. “It’s so good. It’s been over 10 years. This will certainly be good for business,” said a woman who requested anonymity.

Yu Shuyan, a Dandong resident who visited North Korea before the pandemic, expressed hope that the bridge will help North Koreans improve their lives.

Xe tai chay tren cau trong le thong xe. Anh: AFP

China is North Korea’s largest trading partner. The new bridge will replace the China-North Korea Friendship Bridge, a combined rail and road structure located downstream on the Yalu River, which has a narrow deck, according to Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University in South Korea.

“Previously, transporting heavy goods such as industrial machinery, raw materials, construction materials, and energy-related supplies required extreme caution due to safety concerns about the deteriorating bridge. The new bridge will make such shipments much easier and more efficient,” Lim stated, calling it a breakthrough development that could increase cargo traffic three to four times.

The new road bridge between China and North Korea opened over a month after North Korea and Russia inaugurated the first road bridge connecting their two countries. Pyongyang hailed that project as a sign of increasingly close bilateral ties.

Huyen Le (According to AFP, Xinhua)