China and North Korea Open Long-Delayed Yalu River Bridge

China and North Korea opened the New Yalu River Bridge on October 15, putting a four-lane road crossing between Dandong and Sinuiju into service after years of delay. Trucks crossed the bridge during the opening, according to reporting from the scene and footage shown by Chinese state media. The crossing stretches roughly three kilometres over the Yalu River, linking the northeastern Chinese city of Dandong with Sinuiju in North Korea. Its opening ceremony was held on Thursday morning. The bridge adds road capacity to a border corridor where the older Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge has long handled much of the transport between the two cities. Construction of the New Yalu River Bridge was completed in 2014, but it remained unused for years. Reports attributed the delay to incomplete connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side. The new crossing is intended to make transport more efficient, particularly for freight, but its opening alone does not establish how much regular traffic it will carry. Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in a video address that the bridge would promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.