Headed to Asia, Vice President Pence meets with Alaska Gov. Walker in Anchorage

Gov. Bill Walker had his second opportunity in a month to discuss Alaska's interests on home turf with a powerful national leader, meeting on Saturday with Vice President Mike Pence, who stopped in Anchorage for a brief refuel on his way to Asia.

In a written statement, Walker said he updated Pence on his meeting last week with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose evening visit in Anchorage included sightseeing along Turnagain Arm and a seafood dinner at the Crow's Nest, the upscale restaurant atop the Hotel Captain Cook.

Pence's stop was shorter and more low-key. He met Walker in a conference room at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, where the governor used the half-hour allotted him to emphasize the importance of trade with Asia to Alaska's economy.

China, Japan and South Korea are among the biggest markets for Alaska seafood. Companies that sell Alaska seafood to Asia were disappointed by the lack of support from President Donald Trump for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a sweeping trade deal that would have lowered tariffs on Alaska seafood products in Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries.

"Alaska has significant trade relationships with countries like China, Korea, and Japan. This meeting was an opportunity to highlight the work Alaska is already doing in the Asia Pacific, and ways to further market our natural resources in the region," said the statement from the governor's press office. "There is great potential in our oil and gas, fish, tourism, and mineral resource industries, and we look forward to working with the Trump Administration to maximize that potential."

Walker also made sure to bring Pence's attention to a proposed $45 billion megaproject to export liquefied natural gas from Alaska to utilities in Japan, South Korea and other Asian nations. The governor's enthusiasm for the project was apparent in the official materials distributed after the meeting. Renderings of the project served as backdrops to an official photo of Walker and Pence provided by the governor's office.

Alaska Gasline Development Corp. President Keith Meyer, whose office is in charge of advancing the project, was the only other state official listed as present in the meeting.

Walker was not available for an interview Saturday, according to spokeswoman Katie Marquette.

Walker also thanked Pence for the Army's recent decision to keep the 4-25 Infantry Brigade Combat team at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, according to the statement, and the two discussed the importance of the Essential Air Service program to Alaska, which is in jeopardy under Trump's proposed budget.

After the meeting, Pence and his wife, Karen, took photos with the governor, Alaska first lady Donna Walker and their daughter, Lindsay Walker-Hobson. All told, the Pences spent about an hour and a half in Anchorage. Pence is heading to South Korea during a period of escalating belligerence with neighboring North Korea and is expected to stop in a few other countries and Hawaii during the 10-day trip.