LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Dave Heineman says state-sponsored trade centers in China and Japan have proven their worth to Nebraska and ought to be continued to help local businesses expand into Asian markets.

Heineman said Wednesday that the centers play a long-term role in building business relationships in Asia. His remarks came after he announced that Nebraska has been chosen to host the U.S.-Japan Association’s 50th annual conference in September 2018.

Each center costs the state around $125,000 a year. Dacia Kruse, the Department of Economic Development’s acting director, says Nebraska businesses help cover some of the costs of each center.

Melissa Ross, marketing director for Oxbow Animal Health, says the Japanese center has helped her Murdock-based company bridge the cultural gap that foreign companies sometimes encounter in Asia.