Xi Jinping stops in Alaska after summit with Trump
Alaskan Governor Bill Walker hopes Chinese president’s visit will lead to increased trade for far north state
Chinese President Xi Jinping was able to take in views of the natural beauty Alaska has to offer on Friday night. The state’s governor hopes this will lead to an increased appetite in the world’s most populous nation for more natural resources from the sparsely populated state to the northwest of Canada.
Xi requested time with Governor Bill Walker on Friday night as the Chinese delegation’s plane made a refuelling stop in Alaska’s largest city following meetings with President Donald Trump in Florida.
The sightseeing tour included a stop at Beluga Point, a rocky outpost on the scenic Seward Highway about 15 miles south of Anchorage.
The point offers stunning views of the snow-capped Chugach Mountains and Turnagain Arm in Alaska’s Cook Inlet. The waters are home to the endangered Beluga whale.
Walker said he was eager to tell Xi about the abundance of Alaska’s resource development opportunities. “We have tremendous potential in our oil and gas, tourism, fish, air cargo and mineral resource industries,” Walker said in a statement issued before the meeting.