China denies closure of key border bridge with North Korea

BEIJING: China on Friday denied reports that the closure of a key border bridge connecting it with North Korea was aimed at punishing the reclusive Communist state for its defiance over its nuclear programme.

"It was closed temporarily because the North Korean side needs to carry out some maintenance work on this bridge," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a media briefing here.

It will be opened again for passage after repair and maintenance work, he said when asked whether the closure was aimed at punishing North Korea for continuing to pursue its nuclear programme in defiance of UN sanctions and international pressure.

Geng however did not give a time-line for its reopening.

"Just for recent days," Geng said when asked for how long it would be closed.

The 944-metre-long China-North Korea Friendship bridge over the Yalu river in Dandong, Liaoning province is a lifeline for North Korea as it facilitates all essential supplies from its big neighbour.

The river is the border between the two countries. It is the route of 80 per cent of trade and a large amount of personal travel between the neighbours. North Korea is virtually dependent on China for most of its essential goods.

The closure came in the immediate backdrop of the visit of President Xi Jinping's special envoy Song Tao to North Korea.

Reports said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un snubbed China by not meeting him leading to strained ties between the Communist neighbours.

North Korea, regarded as a close ally of China, was reportedly cut up with Beijing over the implementation of UN sanctions that increased pressure on Pyongyang which is not willing to give up its nuclear and missile programmes.

The closure came as relations were strained because of China's sanctions against North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

North Korea's recent missile and nuclear tests demonstrating its ability to launch long-range ballistic missiles have sparked fears that the regime is developing nuclear weapons faster than previously estimated by the US.

Regular joint US?South Korea military drills as well as US warnings to North Korea have also raised tensions recently in the region and beyond.

Both Beijing and Pyongyang have tried to put a positive spin on Song's trip but have remained tight-lipped about whether the Chinese envoy met the reclusive North Korean leader, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported earlier.

Although Song met Choe Ryong-hae, a vice-chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and Kim's right-hand man, and Ri Su- yong, Pyongyang's top diplomat, analysts said his failure to meet Kim if confirmed was a deliberate snub to Xi and again showed China's limited influence over the unruly regime, it said.

China is also increasingly coming under pressure from US President Donald Trump to use its influence over North Korea to curb Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme.