World·China / North Korea
China and North Korea open long-delayed Yalu River bridge as Beijing hails a "new chapter"
A new four-lane, 3-kilometer (1.8-mile) bridge linking Dandong, China, and Sinuiju, North Korea, opened Thursday after more than a decade of delay, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang saying relations had "entered a new stage, embarking on a new chapter," The Associated Press reported, citing Xinhua. The bridge was first expected to open in 2014, and the aging Dandong-Sinuiju bridge handles more than 70% of official trade between the two countries. Ewha University professor Leif-Eric Easley told AP the new bridge "could facilitate trade that violates U.N. sanctions"; it opened about a month after North Korea and Russia opened a road bridge of their own.
Sources
- The Associated Press (via KSAT)New China-North Korea bridge opens after more than a decade of delay