Quick Take: China Marks Up New Customs Area

Commercial satellite imagery indicates China continues to take steps towards completion of a new, modern customs post on its border with North Korea across the New Yalu River Bridge. Work at the facility near Dandong has been ongoing despite no observable preparation on the North Korean side that might signal an imminent opening of the new border crossing.

Background

The New Yalu River Bridge, a large cable-stayed bridge, was completed ten years ago and has never been used.

Work on the Chinese customs area stalled soon after the bridge was completed but resumed in 2022. Since then, new border and customs control points have been constructed and paved, and work continues.

Recent Activity

Currently, road patterns around the facility are being rerouted, the latest appearing by early October. The first new traffic patterns were painted between early May and mid-June 2024 and repainted in early October as well.

Until recently, the road off the bridge bypassed the customs facility and connected directly to the Chinese road network, but now new gates block off direct access and lane markings indicate vehicles will be funneled through checkpoints.

Figure 1. Overview of traffic flow and lane markings at Chinese customs yard across new Yalu River Bridge on imagery from October 30, 2024. Image © 2024 Planet Labs, PBC cc-by-nc-sa 4.0. For media licensing options, please contact [email protected].

While the latest work is another sign that the facility is moving closer to opening, there remains no indication of preparations on the North Korean side.

The bridge was not connected to the North Korean road network until 2020, when the highway was completed. At that time, a large area of land adjacent to the road and near the bridge landing was cleared. Although this appeared to be creating space for a new North Korean customs facility, no further progress has been observed.

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