Christie to travel to London

Gov. Christie will travel to the United Kingdom for three days next month, his office said Tuesday, an announcement that comes as the governor continues to weigh a run for president in 2016.

The governor is expected to visit London and Cambridge during the trip, from Feb. 1 to 3.

"This is an opportunity to strengthen economic and cultural ties between the United Kingdom and New Jersey while pursuing real opportunities in the life sciences and finance sectors," said Maria Comella, Christie's communications director. "As with all of his previous trips, this is a way for Gov. Christie to not just help grow New Jersey, but really listen and learn."

This will be Christie's third foreign trip in recent months, following trade missions to Mexico in September and Canada in December. Christie gave speeches during those trips focused on North American energy policy.

In London, Christie's office said the governor is expected to meet with business leaders and government officials. The trip also will include "opportunities to meet and engage with the people of the United Kingdom," the office said.

The Associated Press, which first reported the trip, said Christie's schedule may involve "catching a soccer match."

Spokesmen for Christie did not respond to a question about who would pay for the trip.

A spokeswoman for Choose New Jersey, a privately funded economic development group that sponsored portions of the Mexico and Canada trade missions and a 2012 trade mission Christie took to Israel, said she could not provide information Tuesday on the London costs.

"I don't know exactly how that's going to work out just yet, but certainly we'd be part of a business development mission," said Jenn Kramer.

The governor's spokesmen did not respond to a question about what the Mexico and Canada trips cost state taxpayers. For the Israel trip, taxpayers paid nearly $40,000 for the governor's security costs, according to news reports.