New Bridge Between North Korea and China Could Open Soon – 12 Years After Completion

Closer ties, increased trade

As construction progressed, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited North Korea on June 8 and agreed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to expand economic cooperation and make greater use of cross-border trade in areas including agriculture, technology, infrastructure, and people-to-people exchange.

Chinese experts suggested that following Xi’s visit, Beijing is expected to provide a large package of gifts to North Korea, with the bridge just a small part of it, Park said.

The bridge itself was to have been a symbol of economic cooperation between the two countries, but instead it became one of the better-known North Korean white elephants, built for a glorious national purpose, but serving no function. But that will change once it opens.

The new bridge will allow direct access for heavy cargo trucks, increase customs capacity, lower transportation costs and support development of Sinuiju, Joung Eunlee, the director of the Seoul-based Korea Institute for National Unification, told RFA.

“The bridge aligns with broader economic interests on both sides of the border,” she said. “China has sought to strengthen Dandong’s position as its principal trade gateway with North Korea, while Pyongyang is expected to increase imports of construction materials and industrial equipment for infrastructure and regional development projects.”

Final touches

In recent months, construction has continued at a breakneck pace, Chung observed.

“Along the northern access road to the bridge, satellite imagery also identified construction materials and temporary shelters for workers, the blue and orange objects visible along the roadside for more than one kilometer—supporting work on the customs complex and road paving,” Chung said.

However, paving inside the customs complex and on access roads has yet to be completed, indicating the ground preparation and foundation work are still underway. So the final asphalt or concrete paving, lane marking and site cleanup must be completed before the customs facility can support regular freight clearance and vehicle traffic, Chung said.

Construction on the North Korean side of the bridge is visible from China, Park told RFA.

“Vehicles continue to carry construction materials across the bridge. It is expected to open this year,” Park told RFA.

The bridge stretches about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the customs facility on the Chinese side into North Korea, and the four-lane highway has now been fully paved in both directions. On June 28, Seoul-based media outlet Daily NK reported that buses have been seen conducting trial runs across it.

Park said he was able to observe about 300 trucks crossing from China into North Korea and roughly the same number crossing back in the afternoon over the aging Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, which lies just upstream from the new bridge.

The Friendship Bridge was built by the Japanese during World War II, making it older than North Korea itself. Because roughly 70% of Sino-North Korean trade traverses this bridge each year, but it was built for a different era, and can handle only a limited number of crossings per day, Park said.

“Once the new bridge opens, cargo volume is expected to increase several times over, dramatically transforming cross border logistics,” Park said.