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Eleven legislators - including Senators Malcolm Graham and Bob Rucho, of Charlotte - have joined Gov. Bev Perdue on a trip to China.
Graham, a Democrat, and Rucho, a Republican, are visiting as part of a program organized by The Center for International Understanding, a public service program of the University of North Carolina.
Rep. Wil Neumann, a Republican from Belmont, is also among the participants.
Graham said no tax dollars are being used to pay for the trip. Funding is from Duke University, as well as corporate sponsors AT&T, Longistics and SAS.
The group is participating in a few events during Perdue's trip to China as she tries to recruit companies to locate in North Carolina. The lawmakers and Perdue visited Beijing middle school No. 4 on Wednesday, but the legislators also are making their own stops, including at SAS's Beijing R&D operation.
The program is intended to educate leaders about the links between education and economic development in a global economy. Lawmakers are aiming to learn more about a country and culture with which North Carolina must compete for jobs and business.
"We don't live in an isolated world anymore," Graham said. "We're not just competing with South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. We're competing in a worldwide economy."
Graham, Rucho and the other legislators are scheduled to return Oct. 31.
