Much more East than New Bern

Gov. Beverly Perdue leaves Thursday for nearly two weeks in Japan and China in hopes of, among other goals, luring more businesses to set up shop in North Carolina.

The trip won't be all bowing and business cards, though. Perdue plans to visit a couple schools.

"We’re competing on a global basis now," said Perdue spokesman David Kochman. "So it’ll be interesting to see firsthand how some of the schools in Asia operate."

Perdue will spend the first few days in Tokyo, where North Carolina plays host to the annual meeting of the Japan-U.S. Southeast Association, a group that promotes trade between Japan and the eight member states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The organizations met in Raleigh last October. The group's chair until the end of the month is John L. Atkins III, president and chief executive officer of the design firm O’Brien/Atkins Associates in Durham.

From Japan, the Tarheel trade trip moves to Beijing and Shanghai in hopes of recruiting new business partners. The group plans to put a particular focus on life science companies.

China is North Carolina's second largest trading partner, while Japan is fourth. Together they account for $3.6 billion in trade annually, state officials said.

The state will spend an estimated $82,000 on the trip, while businesses will underwrite a roughly equal amount. Some of those companies will also be sending representatives on the trip.

Don Hobart, Perdue's deputy chief of staff and a former Commerce Department executive, will join her on the trip, as will First Gentleman Bob Eaves.