China, North Korea Open New Border Crossing Despite Sanctions
- Potential signal of economic support from key Kim benfactor
- Move comes despite breakdown in nuclear talks with U.S.
Tourists take photos on the Yalu River Broken Bridge, with the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge behind, in the border city of Dandong, in China's northeast Liaoning province on Feb. 23, 2019.
Photographer: Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images
China and North Korea opened a new border crossing over the Yalu River, signaling aspirations for deeper economic ties between the neighbors even as Pyongyang’s trade remains crimped by international sanctions.
The border checkpoint at the foot of a new bridge opened Monday, connecting the northeastern Chinese city of Jian with North Korea’s Manpo, Chinese state media reported. The China-DPRK Jian-Manpo highway connection is for passenger and cargo transport and hosts an advanced customs facility, the China News Service said.