If there was anything missing in an already polarized world, it was the moment for great powers to tighten their bonds even further to shore up their power against others. This year the main protagonists have been the United States and Israel; a union that has grown so tight since the Republican bloc came to power and is attracting powerful friends such as the United Arab Emirates.
But without anyone noticing, a historic new alliance is taking shape between North Korea and Russia, which had already shared strong ties since the war in Ukraine: for the first time they have joined by road via a bridge that is about to be completed. And that means many things, but the biggest is that it provides a free channel for them to conduct business more quickly without anyone bothering them. A slap in the face to China.
From Rail to Road: a Brutal Paradigm Shift
According to the BBC, which has been tracking the progress through satellite imagery, the first road bridge linking North Korea and Russia is about to be completed. “This bridge will offer a practical route for the transfer of military matériel and ammunition, both to North Korea and to Russia,” explains to the BBC Dr. Edward Howell, researcher at the Korea Foundation at the Chatham House think tank.
This road crosses the Tumen River, and runs parallel and very close to the only bridge that existed until now between the two countries: the Friendship Bridge. The stark difference is that that connection is rail, it was slow and moving goods depended on train or ship schedules and under the gaze of the international community.
The paradigm shift is evident: now this road route will allow the flow of anything, including arms and heavy transport. A new agile trade route between Russia and North Korea, in which it is believed that Russia will supply North Korea with military technology but also food and fuel, while Russia could receive soldiers and artillery. It is the creation of a “ghost highway” outside Western trade rules and without satellites or international maritime customs able to intercept them.
This connecting route measures one kilometer in length, with several new access roads, a border control post, supporting infrastructure and parking facilities. According to Russia’s Ministry of Transport, the crossing, known as the Khasan-Tumangang Bridge, has been built to support up to 300 vehicles and 2,850 people per day, and will be ready next month.
State media say the total cost is estimated at more than 9,000 million rubles (€102 million).
A Blow to China
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, relations between Russia and China have grown closer. On the security and defense front, energy resources, finance and even the digital domain have become intertwined. And China is undoubtedly an undisputed partner for Russia, but they have not formed a formal political-military alliance.
Now, with the construction of the Khasan-Tumangang bridge, Putin has made clear that his military interests take precedence over his commercial ones with Xi Jinping, and this is a slap in the face for the Chinese leader.
Let us recall that China has been seeking for years the right to navigate the lower stretch of the Tumen River to gain direct access to the Sea of Japan. By building this road bridge so close to the mouth, Russia and North Korea are literally blocking ships from China. We will see how things unfold.
Images | Russian Ministry of Transport/BBC, Kremlin.ru
