China and North Korea to open New Yalu River Bridge, state media reports

The long-delayed bridge will formally open on Thursday, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.

The New Yalu River Bridge, designed to connect China's Dandong New Zone and North Korea's Sinuiju, as seen from China on October 5, 2026 [Mandy Leong/Reuters]

China and North Korea will officially open the New Yalu River Bridge to traffic on Thursday, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reports.

China completed its side of the bridge in 2014, hoping to boost trade ties. However, North Korea left its side unfinished for years as relations soured after Beijing supported United Nations sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear tests.

list 1 of 4 North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea

list 2 of 4 South Korea considers steps to force North Korea apology for DMZ mine blast

list 3 of 4 South Korea pledges legal action over alleged fuel exports to Russia

list 4 of 4 South Korea to recall Ukraine envoy in diplomatic row over POWs

The first bridge connecting Russia and North Korea also opened earlier this month.

China-North Korea Relations

China’s exports to North Korea rose to a six-year high of $2.3bn last year, a 25 percent increase from the previous year. Chinese President Xi Jinping was welcomed in Pyongyang in June for the first time since 2019.

Since 2018, Beijing has tried to repair ties with Pyongyang, which also briefly began improving relations with Washington around the same time.

The China-North Korea relationship was forged during the Korean War. In 1961, the two countries signed the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, which remains China’s only formal military alliance.

The treaty contains a mutual defence clause committing either side to assist the other if one comes under armed attack.

Although China was North Korea’s main diplomatic partner and protector for decades, relations strained after Beijing in 2017 supported tightening sanctions on Pyongyang for its nuclear weapons programme.

Analysts say North Korea’s recent growing relationship with Russia may have changed the balance of Pyongyang’s diplomatic dependence, reducing its reliance on Beijing.

North Korea and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty in 2024, including a mutual defence provision. Military and political ties between the two countries have grown considerably stronger, with North Korea deploying thousands of troops to fight in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

United States President Donald Trump also signalled an interest in repairing relations with Pyongyang last month, after his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un abruptly ended in 2019. In his second term, Trump has floated meeting Kim again, though no official meeting has been set.

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

While North Korea’s trade with Russia largely involves military supplies, exchanges with China could arguably involve goods North Korea needs to develop its civilian economy, analysts have said.

据中国官方通讯社新华社报道，这座延误已久的桥梁将于周四正式通车。

2026年10月5日，从中国拍摄的新鸭绿江大桥，连接中国丹东新区和朝鲜新义州。[Mandy Leong/路透社]

据中国官方通讯社新华社报道，中国和朝鲜将于周四正式开通新鸭绿江大桥。

中国于2014年完成了大桥中国一侧的建设，希望借此促进贸易关系。然而，由于北京支持联合国对平壤核试验的制裁，中朝关系恶化，朝鲜一侧的大桥多年来一直未完工。

列表 1/4：朝鲜向海域发射多枚弹道导弹

韩国考虑采取措施迫使朝鲜就非军事区地雷爆炸事件道歉（共4项，此为第2项）

韩国承诺就涉嫌向俄罗斯出口燃料一事采取法律行动（共4项，此为第3项）

韩国因战俘问题召回乌克兰特使（名单4/4）

连接俄罗斯和朝鲜的第一座大桥也于本月初开通。

中朝关系

去年中国对朝鲜的出口额达到23亿美元，创六年来的新高，比上年增长25%。中国国家主席习近平于6月访问平壤，这是他自2019年以来首次访问朝鲜。

自 2018 年以来，北京一直试图修复与平壤的关系，而平壤也几乎在同一时期短暂地开始改善与华盛顿的关系。

中朝关系是在朝鲜战争期间建立的。1961年，两国签署了《友好合作互助条约》，该条约至今仍是中国唯一的正式军事同盟。

该条约包含一项共同防御条款，规定如果一方遭受武装攻击，另一方有义务提供援助。

尽管中国几十年来一直是朝鲜的主要外交伙伴和保护者，但自2017年北京支持加强对平壤核武器计划的制裁以来，两国关系变得紧张。

分析人士称，朝鲜近期与俄罗斯日益密切的关系可能改变了平壤的外交依赖平衡，降低了其对北京的依赖。

2024年，朝鲜和俄罗斯签署了全面战略伙伴关系条约，其中包括共同防御条款。两国军事和政治联系显著加强，朝鲜已向俄罗斯派遣数千名士兵参与乌克兰战争。

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普上个月也表示有意修复与平壤的关系。此前，他与朝鲜领导人金正恩的会谈于2019年突然中断。在第二个任期内，特朗普曾提出再次与金正恩会面，但尚未确定正式会晤时间。

朝鲜尚未恢复向中国公民发放旅游签证，而中国公民曾经是朝鲜海外游客的主体。

分析人士表示，虽然朝鲜与俄罗斯的贸易主要涉及军事物资，但与中国的贸易往来可能涉及朝鲜发展民用经济所需的商品。