China and Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) relations are entering a new stage and opening a new chapter, Premier Li Qiang said in a video address on Thursday at the opening ceremony of the New Yalu River bridge that links the North Asia neighbours. Li said he hopes the two sides will use the bridge link as an opportunity to continue enhancing connectivity and tap cooperation potential in border areas, Xinhua news agency reported. The opening of the two countries' ⁠most significant land border crossing is aimed at rejuvenating trade and commerce. The three-kilometre New Yalu River Bridge and the end where Chinese customs operates saw increased activity over the past few days, with trucks adorned with national flags making the crossing on Thursday. Crowds also gathered on the Chinese side along a road overlooking the bridge. Chinese and DPRK flags also lined the cable-stayed bridge ⁠with towering pylons that had been completed in 2014 but remained unused, ⁠while approach roads and a ⁠customs compound on the North Korea end remained unfinished. The opening signals progress in bilateral relations between Beijing and Pyongyang, marked by two summit meetings between their leaders in the past year. China is by far Pyongyang's largest trading partner, even after a series of UN sanctions ⁠banned the flow of goods and workers to and from the DPRK. China and Russia, two UN Security Council permanent member states that voted to approve sanctions resolutions until 2017, have since questioned the legitimacy and efficacy of such bans. The bridge will help move heavy equipment, raw materials and energy products needed for DPRK's development projects, said Lim Eul-chul at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies. China's exports to the DPRK rose to a six-year high of US$2.3 billion last year, a 25 percent increase, That was ⁠still well below levels before UN sanctions were tightened in 2017. (Reuters) Edited by Altis Wong

Hong Kong received about 4.03 million visitor arrivals in September, up 22 percent year on year, pushing the cumulative total for the first nine months of 2026 past the 40 million mark, the Tourism Board announced on Thursday. The board said September's figures were boosted by the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and a series of festive events across the city, including the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and the inaugural "International Lantern Spectacular". A low base of comparison due to adverse weather in the same period last year also contributed to the growth, it added. Arrivals from the mainland rose by nearly 30 percent year on year in September. The board said long-haul markets continued to grow at an ideal pace, while short-haul markets also benefited from the festive events but remained under pressure due to flight capacity constraints and fuel surcharges. Looking ahead, the board said it would continue to promote Hong Kong through event tourism, Mice – Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions – tourism and diverse "Only in Hong Kong" experiences. Upcoming highlights for the rest of the year include "Hong Kong Halloween Month", the "Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival", "Hong Kong WinterFest" and the "Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations", it said. Edited by Aaron Tam