Anchorage Daily News

A week before the devastating earthquake hit China, an Alaska trade mission arrived at the Beijing Airport. We were ushered into Terminal 3, the world's biggest building, two times larger than the Pentagon. This was not the China I had visited 29 years ago with streets crowded with pedestrians, bicycles and debris. We drove to the city center on brand new highways bordered by flowering plants. We didn't see a single piece of litter.

Some fear China because of their success, but I share the view of Sen. Charlie Huggins, a member of our delegation. A retired colonel and decorated Airborne Ranger, Charlie summed it up this way: "Isolation doesn't work in today's world. Our future depends on positive engagement."

A dozen executives of China's national utility, Sinopec, the world's seventh largest oil company, welcomed us in their Beijing headquarters. On my left was Chen Qi, director general of the Foreign Cooperation Office. Next to him was Xiao Jibao, who oversees projects in 30 countries.

There were six engineers in the room who have studied the Alaska natural gas pipeline in detail. Last fall they assisted Anchorage engineer Dominic Lee with a bid to build our pipeline. Our mission was to verify that China, and others in Asia, are interested in purchasing Alaska's natural gas. The answer was a resounding "Yes."

With the immense task of helping millions in China recover from the earthquake and at the same time running the Summer Olympics, the Chinese have their hands full. However, in my comments in our May 7 meeting, I invited their help in addressing some of the most challenging global concerns.

I urged China to help tackle world hunger, poverty, the lack of electricity and fresh water the world around. I challenged them, as I have the United Nations, with the question: "Why war? Wars are just big projects. Why not big projects?"

From the Great Wall of China to the Beijing Airport, China is unsurpassed in building big projects. I suggested that they look at a global energy grid, water pipelines from the North to the South, a railroad around the world, and natural gas pipelines such as the one we have long awaited in Alaska. "The price of a better world," I said, "doesn't have to be blood. It can be sweat."

As a result of the world's response to the earthquake and the message delivered by our Alaska delegation, the Chinese discovered this month that they have friends worldwide. Mr. Chen thanked me and said, "We have heard a voice from your heart." Believe me, having helped establish long-term trading deals for Alaska in Asia since the 1950s, relationships are the key to both world trade and world peace.

Some of our group continued on to Japan for meetings with some of Asia's largest buyers of LNG. It is obvious to us that the maximum benefit for Alaskans will be to export some of our gas to Asia, some to the Lower 48 and some to Hawaii.

Unfortunately, the Palin administration announced last Thursday its support for TransCanada's plan to ship our gas to Alberta which, if successful, will cut off these valuable world markets. As I listened to the press conference, the governor's gas line team made claims about LNG and the export market that were dead wrong. Now the Legislature and all of us who care about this issue must wade through hundreds of pages of documents written to defend their decision.

My belief is rock solid that Alaska, as an owner state, should build an all-Alaska gas pipeline from Prudhoe to Valdez. The plan exists, mapped-out by the Alaska Gasline Port Authority, and it should be combined with the in-state innovations designed by the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority.

Rather than wait for another decade for a gas line through Canada, which must overcome a maze of obstacles across the border, we can move ahead now to meet Alaska's need for energy and create a world-class economic and energy lifeline within Alaska that will last a century.

Walter J. Hickel served as governor of Alaska from 1966-1968 and from 1990-1994 and as U.S. secretary of the interior from 1969-1970. He is the founder of the Institute of the North.

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