China–North Korea Bridge Opening Recasts a Long-Delayed Trade Link

Beijing, 14 October 2026 – A four-lane bridge across the Yalu River is set to open on 15 October, turning a piece of infrastructure completed more than a decade ago into a potentially important channel for trade between China and North Korea. The 3,026-metre New Yalu River Bridge links Dandong in China’s Liaoning province with Sinuiju, North Korea’s main border city, and is intended to supplement the older Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge.

China completed its side of the project in 2014, but the link remained idle as North Korea left approach roads and customs facilities unfinished. The delay reflected a more difficult period in bilateral relations, shaped by Pyongyang’s nuclear tests, international sanctions and the later closure of North Korea’s borders during the pandemic. The planned opening therefore carries significance beyond transport capacity: it signals that both governments are prepared to restore a larger, more regular flow of people and goods.