China and North Korea have opened the New Yalu River Bridge, a road link between the Chinese city of Dandong and Sinuiju in North Korea, Chinese state media reported on Thursday.
The bridge is 3km (1.9 miles) long and is set to become the main land route for trade between the two countries. It was due to open in 2014, but the launch was postponed after North Korea halted construction of its roads and customs facilities.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called it an “important facility for connectivity” that would “further facilitate trade and people-to-people exchanges”. China is North Korea’s largest trading partner, and bilateral trade reached $2.7bn last year.
Kang Jun-young, a professor of Chinese studies at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said a sharp rise in trade is unlikely while United Nations sanctions on North Korea remain in effect.
Last month, North Korea and Russia opened their first road bridge. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pyongyang in June and met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
