US business leaders value Chinese trade

Alaska State Governor Bill Walker’s upcoming trade mission to China in May will present an opportunity for the US state to tap China’s tremendous economic potential, the Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday, citing Alaska business leaders.

“Discouraging outside investment will not build a stronger Alaska, but prevent our resources getting to world markets and to Alaskans,” Doug Griffin, executive director of the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference, and Tim Dillion, executive director of the Kenai Economic Development District, said in their article published by Alaskan newspaper The Juneau Empire.

Alaska-China trade is something to value as China has been Alaska’s largest export partner for the last seven years, they said.

Alaska exported goods worth $4.93 billion in 2017, with over $1.32 billion going to China, and “disparaging our customers shrinks our economy at a time when we desperately need growth,” they asserted.

Alaska has profited from selling other resources to China, including over $355.8 million worth of metal ore and millions of dollars of forest products in 2017.

“China’s purchase of these resources adds significantly to a healthy and diversifying statewide economy across Alaska without ceding control or management of these resources,” said the two business leaders.

Regardless of what happens at the federal level, the opportunities for Alaska and the Asian economic powerhouse to partner together are clear, they said, adding that “we envision a future where we see more and more headlines telling a positive Alaska-China story.”

“China’s longstanding consumption of Alaska products has been creating benefits across the state for years, and the upcoming trade mission to China is a clear opportunity for us to strengthen this bond and continue to grow our economy,” said the Alaska business leaders.