A new bridge linking China and North Korea is set to open more than a decade after the Chinese side of it was built, in the latest sign of closer ties between the two countries. The official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported Wednesday that both sides will hold a ceremony for the launch of the New Yalu River Bridge on Thursday. The mammoth, 3-kilometer bridge will connect the northeastern Chinese city of Dandong to the North Korean city of Sinuiju. The bridge was initially expected to enter use in 2014, but the date came and went no sign of an opening. Foreign analysts suggested at the time that Pyongyang was wary of China’s economic influence in the country.