China, North Korea open 3-km Yalu bridge after 12-year delay
Why it matters: The crossing could move hundreds of vehicles a day and expand trade between Pyongyang and its biggest economic partner.
China and North Korea are opening the New Yalu River Bridge, a 3,026-meter, four-lane crossing between Dandong and Sinuiju that sat idle for about 12 years after construction finished. The bridge was completed in 2014 but was delayed largely because North Korea lacked connecting roads and customs facilities. It is meant to ease pressure on the aging Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, a key route for official trade. Analysts say the new link could improve logistics and give North Korea greater access to Chinese goods and resources, though any jump in trade may build gradually. The opening comes about a month after Pyongyang and Moscow opened their first road bridge.