On March 19, Yao Yan, president of China National Building Materials Group Corporation (CNBM), was invited to a special luncheon given by Hon John Key, premier minister of New Zealand at the residence of the Embassy of New Zealand in China. Yao introduced CNBM's development, business performance and overseas operations to the prime minister in detail. Referring to the trade fields in which CNBM cooperates with New Zealand, Yao made a special mention of the advantage of new housing products and technologies, as well as the prospect of the two sides' cooperation in the field of housing construction and building materials. New Zealand badly needs large-sized enterprises like CNBM to provide quality housing and building materials products, the prime minister said, pledging that the New Zealand government will create favorable conditions to facilitate cooperation between enterprises of the two countries in more fields.

Prior to the luncheon, Yao held cordial talks with several high-ranking government officials like Carl Worker, ambassador of New Zealand to China, the minister of foreign affairs and trade of New Zealand, the chief executive of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and the commercial counselor of the Embassy of New Zealand in China.

10 Chinese enterprises were invited. Among other Chinese invitees were senior executives of domestic large-sized enterprises such as China Investment Corporation, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank and China Southern Airlines Company Limited. Yao exchanged ideas with them on a wide range of issues. This activity fully demonstrated CNBM's remarkable business achievements in New Zealand.