Gov. Beverly Perdue is flying back from Asia today after a nearly two week expedition to try and lure new businesses to North Carolina.

Perdue is due back this evening after 14 hours of flight time from visits to Japan and China. In addition to corporate shmoozing, she visited schools to get a firsthand look at how those countries' education efforts compare with North Carolina. 

Yesterday Perdue attended a signing ceremony between the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and the Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, in Research Triangle Park, regarding collaboration on tuberculosis research.

She is due back in the office tomorrow and will make her first post-trip public appearance at the North Carolina Awards ceremony Thursday evening at the N.C. Museum of History.

State commerce officials say Gov. Beverly Perdue's upcoming trip to Asia, which is being paid for in part by private benefactors, does not violate state ethics rules that forbid elected officials from receiving gifts.

Kathy Neal, spokeswoman for the state Department of Commerce, said in an e-mail to Dome that all travel costs for the state delegation will be paid for with an estimated $76,700 in taxpayer money. State funds will also be used to provide a van and driver, interpreters and business cards in both Japanese and Chinese.

Private donors, meanwhile, will pick up the $94,730 tab for hosting five functions in Japan and China, along with other promotional and entertainment expenses.

First Gentleman Bob Eaves, who is accompanying his wife on the trip, will pay his own way.

The delegation is scheduled to depart Thursday. For the record, the governor is flying commercial.

UPDATE: A spokesman for Gov. Perdue on Wednesday clarified a statement from earlier in the week, saying that the travel expenses for the state's first gentleman will be covered by the N.C. Democratic Party.

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No, not the kind you're thinking about.

In this case, we're talking about what's known as "the other white meat."

Seven of North Carolina’s members of Congress have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect the pork industry from its economic troubles by buying $100 million worth of meat for the USDA’s federal food assistance programs.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, they say the recession and the recent swine flu outbreak have hurt the industry. The lawmakers thanked Vilsack for his push earlier this year to call the swine flu virus H1N1 to disassociate it from pork products, but they said the impacts of the scare have hurt the industry.

The letter notes that USDA already has announced $30 million in purchases through the end of the fiscal year, reports Barb Barrett.

“We asking for additional help with the economic crisis the U.S. pork industry currently faces,” the letter reads. “Without your assistance, we are putting thousands of rural jobs and businesses at risk.”

The N.C. lawmakers are Democratic U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge, Larry Kissell, Mike McIntyre, Brad Miller and G.K. Butterfield, along with Republican U.S. Reps. Howard Coble and Walter Jones. Fifty-five other lawmakers also signed the letter.

They want Vilsack to use $100 million to buy pork for federal food assistance programs, with an emphasis on sow meat to reduce breeding stock.

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Gov. Beverly Perdue plans to lead a two-week trade trip to China and Japan in the last half of October.

Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco, who has been to China 16 times, will join Perdue on the trip, along with business leaders and regional economic developers from across the state. More than half of the costs will be covered by "non-state funds," according to Perdue's office. The state will pay about $82,000.

China is North Carolina's second largest trading partner. Japan is fourth.

"This trip is about building and sustaining relationships that create jobs for North Carolinians," Perdue said in a statement released this morning. "Doing business with Japan and China results in $3.6 billion a year in trade, jobs for 20,000 North Carolinians and more than $200 million in foreign direct investment."

More after the jump.

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The trip is part of the prestigious Rodel Fellowship from the Aspen Institute, which the Raleigh Democrat received in 2006. The fellowship brings together a bipartisan group of elected officials younger than 50 from across the country.

To go on the trip, Ross will be passing up one of the biggest weeks at the legislature, which could see a vote on the state's budget.

Ross said the trip was planned more than six months ago, and that it was an opportunity she couldn't miss.

"We all thought we'd be out of here weeks ago," Ross said. "I don't feel good about it. I take my responsibilities as a legislator very seriously."

Ross said she was encouraged by House Speaker Joe Hackney to take the trip, which she passed up twice before because of conflicts with the legislature's schedule.

Ross said she asked to forgo compensation for her work as a legislator while she is away.

More after the jump.

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A mailer criticizes U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's record on trade.

The glossy eight-page mailer from Majority Action, a liberal 527 group, argues that free trade agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA have led to losses in North Carolina's manufacturing sector.

"After 43 years in Washington, the only job Elizabeth Dole hasn't done is protect ours," it says. "She's sending North Carolina jobs overseas instead."

Inside, the mailer argues that "China was a Third World country when Dole went to Washington," but it has grown into a manufacturing giant because of free trade.

It also says that Dole voted to give tax breaks to companies that outsource, though it does not list any specific bills to back up its claim.

North Carolina may open an office in China.

Gov. Mike Easley's proposed budget (page 198) calls for spending $375,000 on a new office in Shanghai for the International Trade Division of Business and Industry in the state Department of Commerce, Ben Niolet reports.

"The North Carolina office will recruit Chinese investment in the state and will assist North Carolina companies that wish to increase trade with China," the budget notes.

At a press conference this morning, Easley said China is an "emerging economy," and the state is "a little behind the curve." He noted that the country is looking to make investments in a few states, including North Carolina.

"As we lose jobs in this global economy, we need to make sure that we take advantage of being able to gain jobs from this global economy," he said. "China is a major player in the world, no doubt about it. We (should) just as well get used to it and start dealing with them."

COLUMBIA, S.C.—A day before the South Carolina primary, the Hillary Clinton campaign went after John Edwards with a critical robo call into Democratic households.

"They did robo calls last night, because we were coming up so much they needed to knock us down," said Joe Trippi, Edwards' chief campaign strateigst, reports Rob Christensen. "I don't know if you can expect much more out of the Clintons."

"Before you vote on Saturday, you should know that John Edwards voted for permanent trade relations with China," said the Clinton call.

"That's right, John Edwards voted for the bill that cost thousands of jobs like the ones in the textile mills he talks about so much down here You should also know that John Edwards made nearly a half a million dollars working for a Wall Street investment fund. A fund that's been profiting on foreclosing on the homes of families; including 100 homes right here in South Carolina. That's according to The State newspaper. Here in South Carolina, Edwards says he's one of us, but up on Wall Street he was just another one of them. Can you trust John Edwards?"