The visit comes about a week after a major new bridge linking the two countries was officially opened.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has arrived in the Chinese border city of Dandong via a newly opened bridge, South Korea’s ⁠Yonhap News Agency reports, quoting a South Korean government source.

The visit on Saturday comes about a week after the bridge linking the two countries was officially opened, 12 years after its completion, deepening economic ties between the Asian giant and its small nuclear-armed neighbour.

China is North Korea’s largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic, and political support for the reclusive state although ties have not always been smooth.

“Kim arrived in Dandong through the New Yalu River Bridge earlier in the day,” Yonhap reported.

The four-lane structure was completed in 2014, but its opening was delayed due to a lack of connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side, according to South Korean news reports.

Kim’s last known visit to ⁠China was in September 2025 ⁠to attend the 80th Victory Day celebrations in Beijing, where he held a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi made a ⁠state visit to North Korea in June in a sign of improving ⁠ties.