China and North Korea schedule bridge opening for Thursday

China and North Korea are scheduled to open the New Yalu River Bridge to traffic on Thursday, October 15, according to an announcement reported Wednesday. The two countries are also expected to hold a joint inauguration ceremony, but the reports do not confirm that either event has taken place. The bridge connects Dandong, in northeastern China, with Sinuiju, North Korea. Completed in 2014, the crossing remained unused for years as connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side were left unfinished. The announced opening would come more than a decade after construction was completed. The planned launch follows renewed activity around the project and closer high-level engagement between the neighboring governments. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pyongyang in June, where he called for the full reopening of border trade crossings and expanded practical cooperation, according to the reporting. Preparations on the North Korean side reportedly advanced afterward. A researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, a South Korean think tank, has argued that economic disagreements may have contributed to the long delay.