North Korea’s Kim Jong-un visits China after more than a year via newly opened bridge

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited China on Saturday (Oct 24) for the first time in more than a year, days after the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge connecting the two neighbours.

Kim is thought to have crossed into China via the bridge, which was completed in 2014 but officially opened only last week. Accompanied by China's fourth-highest-ranking official, Wang Huning, Kim thanked Beijing for decades of support, according to Chinese state media.

The opening of the New Yalu River Bridge had been delayed because connecting roads and customs facilities on the North Korean side were not ready, according to South Korean media reports.

The bridge is expected to strengthen economic ties between China and North Korea, which remains diplomatically isolated. Its opening came just over a month after North Korea and Russia opened their first road bridge.

Neither North Korea nor China announced Kim's visit in advance. However, China's state news agency Xinhua did not mention any talks between Kim and either Li or Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Instead, it reported that Wang Huning, Beijing's top political advisor, accompanied Kim in the border city of Dandong and "saw him off" at the bridge at the end of the visit.

Wang also conveyed Xi's "cordial greetings and best wishes" to the North Korean leader.

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China calls for stronger cooperation

Xinhua quoted Wang as saying the visit was significant for "consolidating public goodwill towards the friendship... (and) deepening political mutual trust and jointly pursuing cooperation and development".

He also said China and North Korea should expand exchanges between their people, strengthen economic cooperation and improve strategic coordination.

Wang said the two countries should work together "to foster a peaceful and stable external environment for safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security and development interests", according to Xinhua.

Kim's visit coincided with the anniversary of China's entry into the 1950-1953 Korean War. During his trip, he attended a memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers and visited an automobile factory, Xinhua reported. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also took part in the events, the agency added.