North Carolina strengthens Japanese ties in Tokyo visit
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As President Donald Trump tours Asia this week, a delegation from North Carolina is also visiting Tokyo hoping to drum up some business.
Why it matters: Japan has become an increasingly important part of North Carolina's tech and manufacturing economy.
- The state says Japan is its top foreign source of jobs and direct investment, with 36,000 North Carolinians working for Japanese companies.
Driving the news: Gov. Josh Stein is in Tokyo this week for a joint meeting between business and government leaders from Japan and the southeastern United States. The meetings have facilitated foreign investments and trade for 47 years.
- The governor will speak at the opening and closing ceremonies Wednesday, his team confirmed.
What they're saying: Stein called it a "truly special partnership" in a press release late Monday.
- He says Japan and North Carolina are "innovating for the future," as he noted the presence of companies in advanced manufacturing, biotechnologies, electrical vehicles and aerospace.
The big picture: Trump is also in Tokyo on Tuesday, meeting with the Japanese prime minister before giving a speech on an American aircraft carrier and having dinner with business leaders, his public schedule says.
- AP reports that Trump is seeking trade deals that include "financial commitments to build factories and energy infrastructure in the U.S." on his Asia tour.
Flashback: Japan and the U.S. inked a trade deal in July, promising to invest $550 billion in the U.S. in exchange for lower tariffs than initially threatened by Trump on Japanese exports.
- A month earlier, Japanese business leaders were in the Triangle on a trade mission organized by the Japan External Trade Relations Organization.
- They met with Stein, visited N.C. State and toured Japanese manufacturing and research facilities around the state.
Zoom in: Two of Japan's biggest companies with North Carolina presences are sending their leaders to the conference — Toyota, which has a battery plant in Liberty, and Fujifilm Biotechnologies, which just opened a massive pharmaceutical plant in Holly Springs.
- Also in attendance are North Carolina's Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley and Christopher Chung, the CEO of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.
Fun fact: Just last year, Japan's then-prime minister made a rare state visit to North Carolina.
What's next: North Carolina's meetings in Japan will continue through at least Wednesday.
- Meanwhile, Trump is expected to sit down with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday.