China and North Korea have opened a new bridge over the Yalu River, which is expected to become a major land route for trade between the two countries, the BBC reported, quoted by News.bg.
The facility is about three kilometers long and connects the Chinese border city of Dandong with the North Korean city of Sinuiju. Its commissioning was originally planned for 2014, but was postponed indefinitely after North Korea suspended the construction of roads and customs facilities, and its relations with Beijing cooled.
At the opening, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang defined the bridge as a “new symbol embodying the traditional friendship between China and North Korea“. He said the two countries were "opening a new chapter" in their bilateral relations.
The new bridge will complement the existing China-Korea Friendship Bridge, which was built between 1937 and 1943, during the Japanese occupation of the region.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning also stressed the importance of the facility, describing it as an "important connectivity facility" between the two countries. She said the new route would "contribute to further facilitating trade and people-to-people contacts."