A new bridge linking China and North Korea that is set to deepen economic ties between the Asian giant and its isolated neighbour opened on Thursday, AFP reporters at the scene said.
Trucks bearing the North Korean and Chinese flags began passing in both directions late morning over the 3,026-metre (9,927-feet) New Yalu River vehicle bridge, 12 years after it was completed.
China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that an opening ceremony for the New Yalu River Bridge was held in the morning. Video released by state media outlet China News Service showed trucks decorated with the national flags of both countries waiting on the bridge, which was also adorned with the flags.
The four-lane bridge stretches 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) and connects the northeastern Chinese city of Dandong with the North Korean city of Sinuiju. Beijing expects the crossing to boost economic and trade activities as well as exchanges between people in the two countries.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said in a video address that the bridge would become a new landmark representing the traditional friendship between the two nations, Xinhua reported.
He urged both sides to use the opening as an opportunity to improve connectivity and explore further cooperation in border areas.
Relations between China and North Korea had entered a new stage, opening a new chapter, Li was quoted as saying. North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song also delivered a video address, the report added.
Bridge opens after 12-year delay
The bridge was initially scheduled to open in 2014, when China had apparently completed construction on its side. However, it remained unused as North Korea had not completed the corresponding work on its side.
The lack of significant progress in Sinuiju fuelled speculation that Pyongyang was concerned about becoming more economically dependent on Beijing. Others suggested North Korea was unhappy with China's support for United Nations resolutions tightening international sanctions over its nuclear programme. Differences over the bridge's location were also cited as a possible reason for the delay.
The prolonged setback prompted an unusually critical report in the Global Times, a newspaper affiliated with China's ruling Communist Party. The report quoted Dandong residents expressing frustration over delays in a project they had expected to bring economic benefits to their city.
Observers believe the new bridge will gradually increase bilateral trade and improve the efficiency of transporting goods.
It is also expected to ease pressure on the ageing bridge connecting Dandong and Sinuiju, which carries more than 70 percent of official trade between the two countries. The older crossing accommodates trains, cars and trucks, but road traffic can move in only one direction at a time.
The South Korean government said last year that at least 17 road and railway links were operating along the more than 1,400-kilometre (870-mile) border between China and North Korea.
China seeks to maintain influence over North Korea
The bridge's opening came about a month after North Korea and Russia inaugurated a road bridge as part of efforts to strengthen their bilateral relationship. Analysts say the development likely caused concern among Chinese officials.
China has long been North Korea's largest trading partner and a key source of economic support. However, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has increasingly prioritised ties with Moscow in recent years, sending thousands of troops and conventional weapons to support Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, apparently in return for military and economic assistance.
Kim has recently moved closer to Beijing, apparently seeking to improve North Korea's economy and strengthen a united front against the United States.
China, meanwhile, wants to restore its special influence over North Korea. About 98 percent of North Korea's external trade was conducted with China last year.