City leaders highlighted Arlington's strengths and opened the door to future business partnerships with China through a unique investment summit held Friday at Cowboys Stadium.

Mayor Robert Cluck said that while he didn't expect visiting Chinese investors to"walk up and write me a check," he did say the event yielded positive conversations about potential commercial partnerships outside the United States.

"Seeing people eye-to eye and making those connections and building those relationships is important," Cluck said.

Cluck, along with City Manager Trey Yelverton, spoke at the event and represented the city in rolling out the red carpet to forge future relationships with such international investors. The private Chinese business leaders are touring the United States to learn more about the country's investment opportunities, amenities and policies.

Arlington officials hosted other local, state and national political fixtures at the day-long event, called the Cross Border Private Investment Summit. It was part of US-China Investment Week, an event organized by PiYi Investment, the Council for American States in China and SNR Denton.

"Arlington opens its arms to you," Cluck told the group, which included Chinese businesses, students and media.

The event was designed to encourage dialogue about trade with China and tout the U.S. business climate and diversity of options.

The group kicked off its nine-day tour in Arlington and featured Governor Rick Perry along with the governors of Florida and Wisconsin. The group also will travel to California, Florida, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.

Cowboys Stadium, itself an example of successful public-private partnerships, served as a backdrop as Perry listed the virtues of doing business in Texas.

"Companies have chosen Texas because of its job-friendly environment that helps companies thrive," Perry said."It is rich with potential for any industry seeking to expand."

In a roundtable discussion about the role state and local government plays in promoting international investment, Cluck said that cities know what they have to offer.

"They are the deal-closers," he said.

Local officials said the event allowed Arlington to showcase its own corporate partnerships and highlight local examples of innovation and opportunities for outside investment.

Yelverton told potential investors about the strengths of the North Texas area. He also focused attention on TechComm, a coalition of five federal agencies and 263 federal laboratories that is managed by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce's Center for Innovation. The effort fosters collaboration between federal laboratories and industry, universities, technology-based economic development groups, venture capital and local governments.

"As you look at opportunities provided in the United States you will see that some are near-term," Yelverton said."I would encourage you to think longer-term for TechComm."

Jay Riskind, managing director of PiYi Investment who organized the program, praised the first-day event in Arlington.

He said Chinese investors build long-term relationships with people they know.

"They invest with people that they like and those they trust doing business with," he said.

Riskind said the Chinese investors that he works with value relationships more than the deal. With that in mind, he said, bringing potential investors to the U.S. bridges a gap and allows local officials to meet and engage directly with Chinese investors in a cultural exchange.

"This was our vision, to show the opportunity of the country as visually as possible," he said.

For more information about the US-China Investment Week effort visit www.us-chinainvest.com.

By Laurie Fox