Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue left Sunday, Sept. 12, on a trade mission to China where he will visit a world's fair in Shanghai and try to drum up business for the state.

The week-long visit will mark Mr. Perdue's third trip to China.

He will tour the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, the massive world's fair that has attracted 50 million visitors since it opened in May.

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. has a pavilion at the fair, the governor pointed out in an interview with GlobalAtlanta.

He will also visit Beijing and Hong Kong.

The trip will be focused on the ports, the governor said. The Georgia Ports Authority has a representative in Shanghai, which is mainland China's largest port. 

"We'll be looking again for that connectivity and enhancing that relationship that our Georgia Ports Authority has developed in Shanghai," the governor said. "Shanghai has a world-class port. We can learn some things from them and they can learn some things from us."

The governor will also meet with government leaders and business prospects.  

China, "cannot be ignored," the governor said. "While Europe continues to be our lowest-hanging fruit, China, when their market becomes mature and their companies get ready to move offshore into other areas, they all want to be in the U.S. market and we want them all to be in Georgia." 

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