China launches new survey to measure height of Mt Everest

China, which differs with Nepal over the height of Mount Everest, has begun a new survey to measure the altitude of the world’s highest peak.

A measurement team from the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the national mountaineering team has arrived at the base camp of the peak for training on mountain climbing and surveying skills in the high-altitude region, making preparation for the measurement planned in May, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A 53-member team from the MNR have conducted preliminary levelling, gravity, global navigation satellite system and astronomical surveys since March 2.

The measurement mission of Mount Everest is being organised by the MNR, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Administration of Sport and government of Tibet Autonomous Region.

China’s new survey to measure the height of Mt Everest is significant as its calculation of the world’s highest peak is four metres less than Nepal's measurement.

The Chinese official media in 2018 has contradicted a media report that China had recognised the mountain’s height as 8,848 metres, quoting Ang Tshering Sherpa, the former head of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

China has not changed its measurement of the height of Mount Qomolangma, the Chinese name of the Mt Everest, which stands at 8844.43 metres above the sea level, state-run Global Times reported in February 2018.

Subsequently, Xinhua quoted the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geo-information (NSAG) as confirming the height at 8,844.43 metres above sea level.

The peak of Mt Everest played a significant role in the settlement of the boundary between Nepal and China, as Beijing earlier claimed the whole mountain as part of its territory after it took control of Tibet.

But it was finally settled in 1961 after the intervention of the ruling Communist Party of China founder Mao Zedong, who suggested that the boundary line should pass through the summit of Mt Everest, which was agreed by Nepal.

Since then more and more international climbers are reportedly using the Tibetan side of Mt Everest as China has improved infrastructure facilities compared to that of Nepal.

China which closed Qomolangma National Park in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region as a precaution following the coronavirus outbreak reopened it on Friday coinciding with May Day holidays.

Nepal closed all of its Himalayan peaks including Mt Everest in March in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

In its report on Thursday Xinhua said this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nepal, the 60th anniversary for human beings to reach the summit of Mount Everest via the north ridge, as well as the 45th anniversary for China to accurately measure and announce the height of the peak for the first time.

Li Guopeng, a team leader from the MNR, said the home-grown BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and home-grown surveying equipment will be applied to the measurement.

The team will use aerial gravity measurement to improve the accuracy, and the three-dimensional technology will provide a visual demonstration of the natural resources of Mt Everest, according to Li.

The measurement team will climb to the summit to obtain reliable data.

Li said results can be applied to various research fields including plate motion in geodynamics. The team will also collect the latest data on snow depth, weather and wind speed at the summit to facilitate glacier monitoring and ecological protection.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Chinese surveyors have conducted six rounds of scaled measurement and scientific research on Mt Everest and released the height of the peak twice in 1975 and 2005, which was 8,848.13 meters and 8,844.43 meters respectively, the Xinhua report said.

Meanwhile, Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant said it has teamed up with China Telecom to set up the world's highest 5G base station on the altitude of 6500 metres.

The stations are expected to cover the summit of the mountain. The two installations will be the world's highest terrestrial 5G base stations, Global Times reported on Thursday.

"The 6,500-metre-high point will likely be the highest place where Huawei is able to build a 5G station, but whether the signal can extend as high as the summit at 8,848 metres still needs to be tested. We are striving to make that happen," Zhang Bo, Huawei project manager who has been on site for 20 months, said.

The cost of building five 5G stations in the extremely difficult terrain could reach 10 million yuan (USD1.42 million) but its value is worth more than that it publicises 5G technology and China's strength in it, the report said. The 5G stations will help mountaineers from across the world communicate better. It could also prove to be helpful for rescuing workers and researchers, it said.