A new bridge linking China and North Korea will open more than a decade late

Live updates

1. 46m ago

   China and North Korea Open New Yalu River Bridge After 12-Year Delay

   China and North Korea officially opened the New Yalu River Bridge on Thursday, a four-lane crossing connecting Dandong and Sinuiju. The bridge opens more than a decade after construction finished, with trucks already lining up at the border. State media reports and officials, including Li, describe the opening as a move to boost trade and signal deeper ties between the two nations. The project had remained unused for 12 years for reasons that remain unexplained.

   Why it matters

   This is the largest border bridge between the two countries. The opening occurs amid international sanctions against Pyongyang, leading to questions about whether the route will be used to evade those restrictions.

   What is confirmed

   • The New Yalu River Bridge is a four-lane crossing linking Dandong, China and Sinuiju, North Korea.
   • The bridge opened on Thursday after a 12-year delay.
   • Construction on the bridge finished 12 years before it opened.
   • The bridge is 1.8 miles long.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The bridge will help Pyongyang evade sanctions.
   • The bridge opening will boost trade.

   What to watch next

   • Evidence of sanctions evasion via the new crossing
   • Official trade volume data between Dandong and Sinuiju
   Sources used for this update (19)

   1. AP News — A new bridge linking China and North Korea will open more than a decade late
   2. Al Jazeera — China and North Korea to open New Yalu River Bridge, state media reports
   3. South China Morning Post — China and North Korea to open border bridge after unexplained 12-year delay
   4. NK News — China, North Korea to finally open long-unused border bridge Thursday: Xinhua
   5. Reuters — Trucks line up as long-delayed China-North Korea bridge officially opens
   6. Bloomberg.com — China, North Korea Open Long-Stalled Bridge, Boosting Trade
   7. Yahoo — North Korea and China open new bridge after 12-year delay
   8. The New York Times — North Korea and China Open Their Biggest Border Bridge
   9. CNN — New North Korea-China bridge finally opens. But will it help Pyongyang evade sanctions?
   10. The Economist — North Korea’s “bridge to nowhere” finally goes somewhere
   11. South China Morning Post — New China-North Korea bridge opens 12 years after construction finished
   12. Yahoo — Xi and Kim forge new route around North Korean sanctions
   confidence 95%