Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged a team of geological workers in east China's Shandong Province to carry forward fine traditions and play a greater role in mineral resource exploration.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Sunday in a letter replying to a team of geological workers in the Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources.

In the letter, Xi said that since the sixth geological work team of the bureau was founded, generations of team members have made arduous efforts and surmounted difficulties, yielding rich fruits in mineral resource exploration.

Noting the important role of mineral resources in the country's economic and social development, Xi said that the exploration of mineral resources has a significant bearing on the national economy, people's livelihood and national security.

Xi urged endeavors to act on the vision of green development, ramp up efforts in mineral resource exploration and make scientific breakthroughs, so as to make new contributions to safeguarding the country's energy and resource security and building a modern socialist country in all respects.

Established in 1958, the geological work team has explored and located over 2,810 tonnes of gold. Recently, the whole team wrote a letter to Xi, briefing him on the results of their work and the resolve to dedicate themselves to geological work and contribute their strength to ensuring the country's energy and resource security.