BEIJING: China says it is temporarily closing its main road connection with North Korea.
Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang on Friday said the China-North Korea Friendship Bridge across the Yalu River will be closed while North Korea repairs the approach road on its side.
Geng said that "after the maintenance, the bridge will reopen for passage," but gave no date for the reopening or other details.
The bridge closure comes after state-owned airline Air China suspended flights Tuesday between Beijing and North Korea due to a lack of demand, deepening the North's isolation amid mounting U.N. sanctions.
Beijing is North Korea's only significant ally but has grown increasingly frustrated over its nuclear and missile tests that have brought a threat of war and chaos to China's northeastern border.