"Like the United States, China is aggressive about securing natural resources to fuel its economy. AK exported seafood, minerals, oil and other products valued at just under $1.2 billion to China in 2016."

Only one problem: finite resource extraction at-all-costs, based on the colonial export model, constitutes economic (and global) suicide. AK's present fiscal crisis is NOT an accident. It is directly and precisely connected to this failed economic model. Until the model gets abandoned, it will predictably result in crisis.

 "All wealth (still) comes from the land" (and sea) but if we don't add value to our natural wealth, it will be usurped to add value for Chinese wealth.

Until we recognize AK's natural assets are getting stripped for short term, short-sighted, multi-national corporate profit taking, we will remain in this "Groundhog Day" failed economic policy -- reduced to a Banana Republic in the service of China's economic growth, while locked in this economic suicide pact.