China promises sanctions as it builds bridge with Pyongyang

China said it's keeping its promise to implement U.N. sanctions against North Korea – but embargoes haven't stopped Beijing from expanding transportation facilities that connect to its neighbor.

China's foreign ministry said Wednesday the country has been "fully and earnestly following all resolutions of the Security Council," and Beijing's commerce ministry said a decision was passed to ban 40 additional "dual-use" products from a list of items banned in North Korea.

The prohibited items include magnetic materials, chemical fibers and welding equipment that could contribute to Pyongyang's weapons proliferation, according to Yonhap.

There is doubt, however, that China will push too hard. Beijing fears North Korea collapse because the event could lead to instability at the border, and Chinese President Xi Jinping recently met with a top North Korean envoy to assure "friendly cooperation."

In China's northeastern Jilin province, a new bridge project linking the two countries is underway, Voice of America reported Wednesday.

The bridge is expected to be complete by mid-September, according to VOA, and connects the Chinese city of Hunchun to key areas, including the North Korean special economic zone of Rason.

The project cost an estimated $20 million and the bridge spans 550 meters, according to the report.

But North Korea's economy hasn't been expanding, according to Seoul's Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.

Trade data from 2015 indicated the North's trade volume shrunk for the first time in six years.

Exports shrank year-on-year by 15 percent to $2.7 billion; imports were down 20 percent to $3.6 billion, yielding a trade deficit of $850 million, Seoul stated.

Trade with China comprised 91 percent of all activities, but China trade has also been shrinking, due to the decline in export prices and reduced Chinese demand for key North Korean exports, like coal.