Sawt Falasteen - China-North Korea bridge to open Thursday, 12 years late

China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support for the reclusive nuclear state, although Pyongyang has also deepened ties with Moscow.

The 3,026-metre (9,927-feet) New Yalu River vehicle bridge links China's northeastern border city of Dandong to one of the most isolated countries in the world.

The four-lane structure was completed in 2014 but its opening was delayed due to a lack of connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

North Korea sealed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic, and train journeys between the East Asian neighbours only restarted in March after a six-year halt.

The new bridge is intended as an alternative to the decades-old Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge further along the Yalu River, which is known as the Amnok River in North Korea. That bridge was once used regularly by passenger trains but has limited capacity.

"Until now, exchanges across the Yalu River bridges in Dandong have been relatively limited in scale but, once the new bridge opens, hundreds of vehicles could cross it every day," Ahn Chan-il, a researcher originally from North Korea, told AFP.

"The bridge could become a conduit for China's abundant goods and resources to flow into North Korea and give its economy a significant boost," he said.

South Korea's unification ministry told AFP that Seoul is "closely monitoring" the situation regarding the bridge's opening.

North Korea has not yet resumed issuing tourism visas to Chinese citizens, who once made up the bulk of its overseas visitors.

The opening of the New Yalu River Bridge comes just over a month after North Korea and Russia opened their first road bridge, with Pyongyang lauding it as a sign of closer ties.

While North Korea's trade with Russia largely involves military supplies, exchanges with China could arguably involve goods that North Korea needs the most to develop its civilian economy, analysts say.

"The New Yalu River Bridge is an important facility for connectivity between the two countries," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular briefing on Wednesday.

"Its opening will further promote economic and trade exchanges and the movement of people between the two countries, and enhance the well-being of the two peoples," she said.

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U.Shaheen--SF-PST