DANDONG, China — Takayuki Nakagaw reports: Chinese authorities temporarily closed a border bridge that connects Dandong in China’s Liaoning Province and Sinuiju, North Korea, on Monday morning.

The closure of the bridge — dubbed the “friendship bridge” — is scheduled to last for 10 days, the authorities said. Coinciding with the closure, Dandong customs, which handles about 70 percent of the trade between China and North Korea, also suspended its operations.

An official of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the bridge was being closed “because the North Korean side will conduct repair work on the iron bridge.”

However, observers believe China means to send a warning to North Korea, which has been accelerating its development of nuclear weapons, by limiting bilateral trade … (read more)

via The Japan News