President Xi Jinping has called on members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to maintain their loyalty and devotion to the Party and the people, on the 94th anniversary of CPC's founding.
Xi made the remarks on Wednesday in a letter to six members of the No.1 land survey team of the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation.
Founded in 1954 when the country was in dire need of survey data for national defense and economic development, the team has paid nearly 100 visits to uninhabited areas of Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.
Their tracks have covered more than 57 million kilometers -- equivalent to go around the Earth 1,400 times.
This year is the 40th anniversary of China's first independent survey of Mount Qomolangma. The six senior team staff, all CPC members, were involved in the survey.
"Forty years ago, your team bravely entered the forbidden zone and overcame hardships to complete our first calculation of the mountain's height, along with military survey personnel and mountaineers. The Party and the people haven't forgotten your meritorious services," Xi wrote.
The team's major work included mapping islands and reefs as well as reconstruction after the 2008 earthquake in Wenchuan, southwest China. They were once awarded the title of "Heroic Survey Team With Eminent Achievement and Selfless Dedication" by the State Council, China's cabinet.
Xi noted that generations of surveyors had endured difficulties and made sacrifices to measure the beauty of the country, making prominent contributions to the country's development.
Xi praised the team for their patriotic spirit and achievements, urging all CPC members to love and contribute to the Party while maintaining ties with the people.
"The Party cause and the people's cause rely on the loyalty and devotion of millions of Party members. Keeping to our original aspirations will lead us to ultimate success," Xi said, quoting a Chinese proverb.
