North Carolina governor to welcome historic visitor at mansion: Japan's Prime Minister Kishida
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to tour different parts of North Carolina to spotlight his nation's title as the state's biggest foreign investor
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — After spending a few days in Washington emphasizing global security concerns, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is set to tour around North Carolina on Friday to spotlight a different interest: his nation's title as the state's biggest foreign investor.
Kishida, who has been Japan's prime minister since 2021, is scheduled to visit two Japanese companies and North Carolina State University after arriving Thursday night, according to Gov. Roy Cooper's office. In between, Kishida plans to have lunch at the governor's mansion in a historic first for the Tar Heel State.
“Well, this puts North Carolina in a global showcase," Cooper told reporters Thursday. “Having the prime minister come and to acknowledge North Carolina when he could have gone to any one of the 50 states — it is a big deal.”
Kishida said in a news conference before his visit that he chose to stop in North Carolina to show that the Japan-U.S. partnership extends beyond Washington, according to a provisional translation posted on the prime minister's website.
