PR has struggled to recover from the effects of hurricane Maria, and I get the logic behind the lawsuit, but she also lies near major fault lines that have caused 2.5-3.5 Richter earthquakes every day for millennia.
If PR were more creative she'd strike a tentative development deal with China to build a huge deep-water port capable of servicing the largest cargo ships AND the largest naval warships then sit back and wait for the U.S. to write a check to fund the strengthening of its relationship with its "strategic partner."
Assuming PR doesn't experience a leadership change shortly thereafter.
To be sure, Puerto Rico is a territory of the US. I imagine that making deals with China as you describe would draw the ire of Washington, if it's even "legal" in the first place.
If PR were more creative she'd strike a tentative development deal with China to build a huge deep-water port capable of servicing the largest cargo ships AND the largest naval warships then sit back and wait for the U.S. to write a check to fund the strengthening of its relationship with its "strategic partner."
Assuming PR doesn't experience a leadership change shortly thereafter.