China and North Korea will inaugurate a new bridge over the Yalu River on Thursday to expand trade links between the two countries

China and North Korea will inaugurate a new bridge over the Yalu River on Thursday, marking the border between the two countries. The structure connects the Chinese city of Dandong with North Korea and represents a new step in strengthening economic and logistical ties between Beijing and Pyongyang.

The bridge has four lanes and is 3,026 meters long. Although it was completed in 2014, its opening was delayed due to problems related to road infrastructure and customs facilities on North Korean territory, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The new connection is intended to provide an alternative and eventually replace the China–North Korea Friendship Bridge, whose capacity is limited. The inauguration comes amid the gradual resumption of ties between the two states.

China remains North Korea’s main diplomatic and economic backer, while the country is isolated and subject to numerous UN sanctions. In March, Air China resumed direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang after a six-year hiatus, and the two countries also reopened the railway connection suspended in 2020. Although China fully reopened its borders in 2023, access to North Korea remains strictly limited.