China, North Discuss Possibility of New Yalu River Bridge

North Korea and China are discussing plans to build a new Yalu River bridge connecting Sinuiju in North Korea and Dandung in China.

Similar talks started in early 2002 when the government of Liaoning Province extended an official bridge proposal to North Korea. In April of the same year, North Pyongan Province sent a letter to Liaoning Province saying that the plan had been approved by the central government of North Korea.

However, the plan was put into doubt due to problems in procuring construction costs and in attracting foreign and private capital. At the same time, the second North Korean nuclear crisis loomed. Nevertheless, the plan is grabbing attention again thanks to the recently resumed six-party talks. One North Korea-related source in Dandung said on March 20, “The designing of the bridge has been already been completed as the Chinese government subcontracted the job to a designing company in Shanghai.” This means that they will be ready to start construction soon.

However, it has been reported that even if China recently proposed to pay the total construction costs, North Korea has not expressed its official agreement to the plan.

orionha@donga.com