The 3,026-metre, four-lane New Yalu River Bridge links the Chinese border city ofDandong withSinuiju inNorth Korea. Hundreds of people gathered in Dandong on Thursday to watch as** lorriesbegan crossing in both directions**, some decorated with Chinese and North Korean flags and flowers.
Completed in 2014, the bridge had stood** unused for 12 yearsbecause connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side were not finished. Its official openingmarks a significant step in efforts to revive tradebetween the two countries after years of strained relationsand pandemic-era border restrictions**.
The crossing is expected to ease freight transport and reduce reliance on the ageingSino-Korean Friendship Bridge nearby, which has carried much of thecross-border traffic since1943. Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University, estimated that the new crossing could** triple or quadruple** cargo traffic, particularly shipments of heavy machinery and construction materials.
China remains North Korea'slargest trading partner and acrucial economic ally. Residents in Dandong hope the new link will bring more** businessand improve living standardsacross the border, although North Korea has yet to resume issuing tourist visas** to Chinese visitors.