China and North Korea have officially opened the New Yalu River Bridge, completing a project that was stalled for 12 years.
The bridge, named for the Yalu River it spans, links the two countries across the border and was formally declared open on Thursday. The event marks the end of a prolonged pause in the project’s construction.
Officials have presented the bridge as an addition to cross-border infrastructure, with potential to affect movement of people and goods between the two neighbours. Immediate operational details, including plans for traffic, customs arrangements and commercial use, were not disclosed in initial reports.
The long delay in completing the bridge highlights the challenges that can affect large bilateral infrastructure projects. How the opening will influence economic and political ties between China and North Korea will depend on future policy decisions and implementation of border and trade procedures.