The opening of a new bridge between North Korea and China.. What does it mean and how will it help?

North Korea, which lives in complete isolation, has a new bridge linking it to the outside world. This bridge is a 4-lane highway that leads to China, a close ally and major trading partner; Its opening on Thursday represents the latest step towards rapprochement with Beijing.

On the other hand, experts are concerned that this bridge will make it easier for Pyongyang to evade sanctions imposed on it due to its illegal nuclear program. The New Yalu River Bridge, nearly two miles long, connects the Chinese border city of Dandong with the North Korean city of Sinuiju.

Although construction work was completed in 2014, the bridge remained unused for years due to the incomplete access roads and border facilities on the North Korean side. Satellite images earlier this month showed vehicles on the bridge linking the cities of Dandong and Sinuiju - two cities believed to be the hub for about 70% of bilateral trade - and on Thursday there was an opening ceremony during which trucks decorated with national flags crossed the bridge over the river.

The oldest “China-Korea Friendship Bridge”, which is also located in Dandong and was built in 1937, historically represented the main crossing between the two countries. However, because it has only one lane, it can only accommodate traffic in one direction at a time. The long-delayed opening follows a period of improved relations between Beijing and Pyongyang, including the restart of the railway line in March, and the visit of Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Pyongyang in June for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Analysts believe that this summit indicated the restoration of relations between the two communist countries, after a period of distance in recent years, coinciding with North Korea’s rapprochement with Russia. In a statement to the Ufok News Network, Lim Yeol-chul, professor of North Korean studies at Kyungnam University in South Korea, said that the bridge represents an opportunity for China and North Korea to demonstrate the restoration of their relations and strategic compatibility to the international community.

He added to the Associated Press that China still accounts for about 95% of North Korea's total official trade, and the South Korean government indicated that there are 17 land links (via railways and roads) linking China and North Korea. Last month, North Korea opened its first land bridge with Russia.

Prior to the opening, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the bridge “will enhance economic and trade exchange, as well as communication between the peoples of the two countries, which will contribute to improving the well-being of their citizens.” Some analysts fear that this bridge will also help the country most subject to sanctions in the world circumvent the ban imposed on its exports of raw materials and other goods. Lim explained that North Korea may use this crossing as a government-controlled gateway to circumvent United Nations sanctions.

For his part, Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, pointed out that the extent to which China is willing to move forward in this matter depends partly on the nature of its relations with the United States. “With increasing tension in relations between Washington and Beijing, China has tended to adopt a more passive approach regarding implementing sanctions,” Yang said.