A Chinese truck returns from North Korea across the China-North Korea Friendship Bridge on January 27. On the right side is the Broken Bridge, which has been deserted after it was bombed and partially damaged in the Korean War (1950-53). Photo: Cui Meng/GT

The 71-year old China-North Korea Friendship Bridge connects North Korea's Sinuiju and Northeast China's Dandong, a border city in Liaoning Province, through which 70 percent of Sino-North Korean trade passes. Every day, cargo vessels from both sides make their way across the Yalu River.

However, in the past year, according to truck drivers, things have changed. "Since Jang Song-thaek was executed, many border trade companies have collapsed. Now the freight cars going to North Korea are obviously fewer than before," a longtime truck driver told the Global Times last week.

Jang Song-thaek, a deposed senior North Korean official, was executed in December 2013 for treason and driving the country's economy "into an uncontrollable catastrophe."

The traders have also become more wary while dealing with the counterparts on the other side. One cautionary saying among Chinese trade circles says you can trade with North Koreans but never invest. "There are too many cases where people's investment was completely wiped out. Now we demand payment before delivering the goods," said a driver surnamed Zhang.

A planned economy, political uncertainty and lack of reliable adjudication in disputes are all cited as reasons for investment in North Korea being high risk.

While waiting in line for customs to cross the bridge, Zhang received a call from the owner of the goods, who asked to cancel the shipment that day as he hadn't received payment from the North Korea side as scheduled. Zhang had to turn the truck around and drive back to the port customs storehouse. Such cases are frequent, Zhang says.

The much wider New Yalu River Bridge, built 8 kilometers downstream of the Friendship Bridge, was completed and set to be open in October last year. However, the bridge, paid for by China with an investment of 1.8 billion yuan ($288 million), remains closed due to North Korea's failure to build facilities on the other side.

The truck drivers all hope the bridge can open earlier as its capacity is much larger than the Friendship Bridge whose construction was started in 1937 and completed in 1943.

Global Times

Workers load barrels of methane onto a truck bound for North Korea on January 25. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

Zhang waits in his truck for the customs formalities on the morning of January 26. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

A North Korean ship crosses under the Broken Bridge on January 27. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

A Chinese truck with a full load of goods heads for North Korea across the Friendship Bridge on January 26. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

A newly built bridge across the Yalu River remains closed due to North Korea's failure to build facilities on the other side. Photo: Cui Meng/GT