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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in China on Saturday, crossing the border via the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, according to South Korean officials cited by Reuters.
Kim entered the Chinese border city of Dandong through the bridge linking the two countries, a South Korean government official said on condition of anonymity.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang also met Kim in Dandong, according to another South Korean official familiar with the visit.
The visit comes a day before the anniversary of China’s entry into the 1950–1953 Korean War. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that Kim was expected to return to North Korea after Saturday’s visit.
A South Korean official told Reuters that Kim was unlikely to travel to Beijing ahead of high-level meetings of China’s Communist Party scheduled to begin on Monday. China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China and North Korea opened the New Yalu River Bridge this month after years of delays. The approximately three-kilometre crossing is a major land link between the two countries.
The bridge aims to revive cross-border trade after years of strained relations and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Lu Chao, an expert on China-North Korea relations at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences in Shenyang, said Kim’s visit reflected improving economic ties and more frequent high-level exchanges.
“The opening of the bridge has resolved a major bottleneck in China-North Korea trade logistics,” Lu said. “With the logistics constraint eased, bilateral trade is likely to increase further.”
The bridge is expected to facilitate the movement of heavy equipment, raw materials and energy products needed for North Korea’s development.
The opening also signals warmer relations between Beijing and Pyongyang following two summits between their leaders over the past 13 months.
Kim’s last known visit to China took place in September 2025, when he attended the 80th Victory Day celebrations in Beijing and held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi visited North Korea in June.
Christopher Green, a Korea specialist at Leiden University in the Netherlands, said Kim’s decision to cross the new bridge gave political significance to the infrastructure project.
“Kim has given his imprimatur to bilateral trade by crossing the New Yalu River Bridge to enter China,” Green said. “That bridge was for more than a decade a symbol of how dysfunctional bilateral relations could become.”
China remains North Korea’s main economic and diplomatic backer and accounts for most of its official trade. Beijing fought alongside Pyongyang during the Korean War.
However, North Korea has strengthened its relationship with Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Analysts say those closer ties have reduced Pyongyang’s reliance on Beijing.
US President Donald Trump has expressed interest in restarting talks with North Korea. However, US and South Korean officials reportedly see diminishing chances of a meeting with Kim before the end of 2026.
China is also due to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen next month. Trump is expected to attend the gathering, which could provide another opportunity for diplomatic engagement.
Kim’s visit highlights the importance of China-North Korea ties as regional powers navigate shifting economic and security relationships.
[…] Kim Jong Un Visits China via Newly Opened Border Bridge […]