Dandong, China - A big new bridge linking China and North Korea opened on Thursday, 12 years after its completion, deepening economic ties between the two countries.
China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic, and political support for the state, although ties have not always been smooth.
Hundreds of people gathered on Thursday on the Chinese side for the opening of the 9,927-feet New Yalu River vehicle bridge.
Trucks bearing the nations' flags began moving in both directions late morning, AFP reporters at the scene said, some of the North Korean vehicles decorated with flowers.
"It's great," one woman who came to watch told AFP in the quiet northern border town of Dandong, which is dotted with a mish-mash of Chinese and Korean shops and restaurants.
"It's already been over 10 years. It's certainly going to be good for business," she said, without wishing to be named, accompanied by her friend and her dog.
The opening came a day after North Korea test-fired two types of cruise missile from a submarine, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The four-lane structure was completed in 2014 but its opening was delayed due to a lack of connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
North Korea also sealed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic, and train journeys between the East Asian neighbors only restarted in March after a six-year halt.
Bridge could facilitate entry of Chinese goods into North Korea
The new bridge is intended as an alternative to the decades-old Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge further along the Yalu River, which is known as the Amnok River in North Korea.
Ahn Chan-il, a researcher originally from North Korea, told AFP he expected hundreds of vehicles to cross every say.
"The bridge could become a conduit for China's abundant goods and resources to flow into North Korea and give its economy a significant boost," he said.
South Korea's unification ministry told AFP that Seoul is "closely monitoring" the situation regarding the bridge's opening.
North Korea has not yet resumed issuing tourism visas to Chinese citizens, who once made up the bulk of its overseas visitors.
The opening of the New Yalu River Bridge comes just more than a month after North Korea and Russia opened their first road bridge, with Pyongyang lauding it as a sign of closer ties.
While North Korea's trade with Russia largely involves military supplies, exchanges with China could arguably involve goods that North Korea needs the most to develop its civilian economy, analysts say.
"The New Yalu River Bridge is an important facility for connectivity between the two countries," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular briefing on Wednesday.
"Its opening will further promote economic and trade exchanges and the movement of people between the two countries, and enhance the well-being of the two peoples," she said.