China-North Korea bridge opens; analysts doubt it will lift trade much

Analysts say the newly opened bridge between China and North Korea may do little to boost trade. Al Jazeera reports that sanctions and a North Korean leadership that puts security first dim the prospects.

China and North Korea formally opened the New Yalu River Bridge on Thursday. Al Jazeera, BBC News, Deutsche Welle and France 24 all put the delay at 12 years. China's state-run Xinhua news agency had announced the Thursday opening, according to Al Jazeera. ABC News says the Chinese side was finished more than a decade before the opening.

France 24 reports that trucks decked with both countries' flags crossed the bridge, and flags also hung from its pylons. It describes a four-lane road bridge about 3 km (2 miles) long, linking Dandong in China with Sinuiju in North Korea. France 24 calls it the most significant land border crossing between the two countries.

France 24 says the aim is to revive trade and commerce after years of strained ties and pandemic disruption, and that the bridge should let the two countries raise cross-border trade substantially. It also reports that Beijing says the bridge will promote economic and trade cooperation.

ABC News and Deutsche Welle call the opening a sign of closer or warming ties. The BBC says China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a lifeline against sanctions. France 24 calls China a vital diplomatic and political backer, and says relations with the ruling Kim family have not always been smooth.