DANDONG, China – Dandong New District looks like a city of the future, its collection of minimalist skyscrapers making the old city nearby look drab and antiquated in comparison. But stroll among its sweeping avenues, and you will be hard pressed to meet another soul. On a November afternoon, this city within a city is practically empty.

The development, built almost from scratch for 500,000 people, is one of several initiatives established to showcase Dandong as a teeming hub of Sino-North Korean cooperation and trade. Instead, it comes across more as a monument to unfulfilled potential.