3-Km China–North Korea Bridge Finally Opens

The New Yalu River Bridge linking China and North Korea officially opened on Thursday (10/15/2026). Beijing and Pyongyang held a joint opening ceremony to mark the start of operations of the long-awaited land transport link, according to China's official Xinhua news agency.

The 3,026-meter, four-lane structure connects the Dandong New Zone in Liaoning Province, China, with Sinuiju in North Korea. The cable-stayed bridge is designed to replace the decades-old Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge.

Idle for 12 Years Since 2014

Construction of the bridge actually began in 2011 and was completed in 2014. Its opening, however, was delayed for 12 years because North Korea never finished building the approach roads and customs facilities on its side.

The delay unfolded amid deteriorating bilateral relations, following Pyongyang's nuclear tests and the imposition of United Nations (UN) sanctions. China had completed its side of the bridge back in 2014, hoping to boost trade ties between the two countries.

Replacing the Aging Friendship Bridge

The new bridge is prepared to replace the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which also spans the Yalu River. The decades-old bridge is mostly limited to rail traffic with restricted capacity.

North Korean researcher Ahn Chan Il said hundreds of vehicles can now cross the new bridge every day. The new transport route is expected to help distribute Chinese resources and support North Korea's economy, which has long depended heavily on Beijing.

A Signal of Recovering Beijing–Pyongyang Ties

The opening of the new bridge is a positive signal for the Beijing–Pyongyang diplomatic partnership. It comes just weeks after North Korea inaugurated its first road bridge connecting it with Russia.

On the trade front, China's exports to North Korea reportedly hit a six-year high of US$2.3 billion last year — a 25 percent jump from the previous period. Even so, total trade volume remains below the levels recorded before UN sanctions were imposed in 2017. South Korea's Unification Ministry said it is closely monitoring the bridge opening.