The 3,026-metre, four-lane New Yalu River Bridge links the Chinese border city of Dandong with Sinuiju in North Korea. Hundreds of people gathered in Dandong on Thursday to watch as lorries began crossing in both directions, some decorated with Chinese and North Korean flags and flowers.

Completed in 2014, the bridge had stood unused for 12 years because connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side were not finished. Its official opening marks a significant step in efforts to revive trade between the two countries after years of strained relations and pandemic-era border restrictions.

The crossing is expected to ease freight transport and reduce reliance on the ageing Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge nearby, which has carried much of the cross-border traffic since 1943. Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University, estimated that the new crossing could triple or quadruple cargo traffic, particularly shipments of heavy machinery and construction materials.

China remains North Korea's largest trading partner and a crucial economic ally. Residents in Dandong hope the new link will bring more business and improve living standards across the border, although North Korea has yet to resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese visitors.