China and North Korea will officially open the New Yalu River Bridge to traffic on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reports.
China finished its side of the crossing in 2014 to boost trade ties. North Korea delayed completion of its portion for years as diplomatic tensions rose after Beijing backed United Nations sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons tests.
The opening marks a thaw in relations that began to fracture in 2017. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Pyongyang in June, his first trip since 2019. China's exports to North Korea jumped to $2.3 billion last year, a 25 percent increase from the previous year and a six-year high.
The bridge opening follows a similar crossing between Russia and North Korea that opened earlier this month. Analysts note that North Korea's deepening military and political ties with Russia may have shifted Pyongyang's diplomatic calculus, reducing its exclusive dependence on Beijing. In 2024, North Korea and Russia signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with mutual defence provisions. North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to fight in Russia's war in Ukraine.
The China-North Korea alliance originated during the Korean War. The two countries formalized ties through the 1961 Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, China's only formal military alliance. That treaty includes a mutual defence clause.
United States President Donald Trump signalled last month an interest in meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again. Trump's talks with Kim ended abruptly in 2019. Trump has suggested another meeting in his second term, though no formal meeting has been scheduled.
One notable constraint remains: North Korea has not resumed issuing tourism visas to Chinese citizens, who historically comprised the bulk of its overseas visitors. While North Korea's trade with Russia centres on military supplies, analysts suggest Chinese trade could support North Korea's civilian economic development.