The new height of Mount Qomolangma, the world’s highest peak, is 8,848.86 meters, according to a joint announcement made by China and Nepal on December 8.

A Chinese surveyor conducts survey work atop Mount Qomolangma on May 27, 2020. The new height of Mount Qomolangma, the world’s highest peak, is 8,848.86 meters, according to a joint announcement made by China and Nepal on December 8. [IMAGE: XINHUA]

The new height of Mount Qomolangma, the world’s highest peak, is 8,848.86 meters, according to a joint announcement made by China and Nepal on December 8.

The figure, which includes the height of the snowcap, was confirmed by surveyors from the two countries, who reached a consensus last year to jointly re-measure the height of the peak and conduct scientific research into it.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, exchanging letters with his Nepali counterpart Bidya Devi Bhandari on December 8, called Mount Qomolangma “an important symbol of the China-Nepal traditional friendship.”

For more than a year, the two countries’ survey teams have overcome all kinds of difficulties, diligently carried out their work, and finally reached a conclusion on the snow height based on the International Height Reference System, he said.

A Chinese survey team reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 27 and re-measured the peak height. The team members remained at the summit for two and a half hours, a new record for Chinese climbers. Nepali surveyors reached the top of the mountain in May 2019.

The joint announcement of the new height is of great significance in developing our understanding of past achievements and in showcasing the high level of the continuous development of China-Nepal relations, Xi noted.

Khim Lal Gautam, who scaled Mount Qomolangma in May 2019 for the Nepali measurement, said he is extremely happy to see both the countries endorsing the new height together.

“The technical teams from both sides sat together sharing their data and information before reaching a conclusion,” he told Xinhua. “This is an example of technical collaboration between the two countries.”

He said it is a good sign that the two countries, linked by mountains, have joined hands to present a uniform height of Mount Qomolangma, attracting the attention of the world.

Cross-Himalaya connectivity

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nepal. Hailing the joint efforts, Xi said that both sides have enhanced mutual political trust, steadily advanced the building of the Belt and Road Initiative, and are turning the vision of a cross-Himalaya connectivity network into a reality.

He called on China and Nepal to push forward their strategic and cooperative partnership with ever-lasting friendship, development and prosperity, and to work together to build a closer community with a shared future, benefitting both countries and peoples.

Aerial photo taken on May 14, 2020 shows a view of Mount Qomolangma. The new height of Mount Qomolangma, the world’s highest peak, is 8,848.86 meters, according to a joint announcement made by China and Nepal on December 8. [IMAGE: XINHUA]

In her letter, Bhandari said Nepal and China have always been good neighbors, friends and partners.

It is in line with both countries’ interests that the two nations conduct cooperation in areas of economic development, connectivity, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, she said.

Bhandari said she is more than happy to jointly announce the height with Xi, as the mountain is a lasting symbol of the traditional friendship between Nepal and China.

Mount Qomolangma straddles the China-Nepal border, with its northern part located in Xigaze in Southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Chinese surveyors have conducted seven rounds of measurement and scientific research on Mount Qomolangma.

The measurement released in 2005 was 8,844.43 meters (rock height).

Chinese surveyors pose for a group photo atop Mount Qomolangma on May 27, 2020. The new height of Mount Qomolangma, the world’s highest peak, is 8,848.86 meters, according to a joint announcement made by China and Nepal on December 8. [IMAGE: XINHUA]

As the movements of the Indian and Eurasian continental plates continue, regular re-measurements of the peak need to be undertaken. Theoretically, this should be done every 10 to 15 years, said Dang Yamin, who is in charge of the coordination of height measurement technologies.

The latest measurement was markedly more scientific, reliable, and innovative than the previous one in 2005 thanks to the application of multiple homegrown technologies, including the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

“The collaboration in the announcement of the height jointly illustrates the strong bond between the two countries,” Padma Kumari Aryal, Nepal’s minister for land management, told Xinhua. “As the height has been announced jointly, there will be no confusion from now on.”

Source: Xinhua