On 14 August, Consul General Chen Shijie attended the 2026 New Zealand International Building Summit Awards Ceremony hosted by the New Zealand Chinese Building Industry Association (NZCBIA). Minister of Finance of New Zealand Nicola Willis, MP Nancy Lu, MP Arena Williams, Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown, Deputy Mayor of Auckland Desley Simpson, and over 800 representatives of building sector from China and New Zealand attended the event.

In her speech, Finance Minister Willis spoke highly of the outstanding contributions made by the Chinese community to New Zealand’s construction industry and overall economic development, and outlined the government's reform initiatives in the building and infrastructure sectors.

Consul General Chen communicated with the guests and hoped that the building industry in both countries would actively work together to benefit two peoples. New Zealand politicians and business community expressed the view that there are broad prospects for practical cooperation between New Zealand and China, and voiced their readiness to inject more positive energy into the development of bilateral relations.