(RALEIGH) -- Gov. Bev Perdue is part of a delegation of governors beginning an in eight-day trip to China to talk trade.   Perdue said before she left North Carolina that the goal is to keep the economic lines open between our two nations.

"We want to continue to build the relationships that we already have started with China.  This is my second trip.  China is our second largest trading partner, soon will be number one and so it's really important that we develop both an export and an import mindset around goods and services in North Carolina," said Perdue.

Perdue will also visit universities in China that are part of student exchanges with North Carolina schools and hopefully continue to cultivate those relationships.