China is
temporarily closing its main road connection with North
Korea, an official said on Friday.
Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang
said the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, across the Yalu River at the Chinese city of Dandong will be closed while North
Korea repairs the approach road on its side.
Geng said that “after
the maintenance, the bridge will reopen for passage,” but gave
no date for the reopening or other details.
The bridge closure
comes after state-owned airline Air China suspended flights Tuesday between Beijing
and North Korea due to a lack of demand, deepening the North's
isolation amid mounting UN sanctions.
Beijing is North Korea's only
significant ally but has grown increasingly frustrated over its nuclear and
missile tests that have brought a threat of war and chaos to China's north
eastern border.
In what was seen as a
bid to improve relations, the head of the ruling Communist Party's
International Department travelled to Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, last
week.
Few
details have been released about his itinerary, including whether he met with
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The trip followed
a visit to Beijing earlier this month by US President Donald Trump, who renewed calls
for China to step up pressure on North Korea to end its missile and nuclear
programs.
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