On the morning of May 6, 2019, the First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources (FIO, MNR) held a mourning event in commemoration of Dr. LI Dawei, Dr. WANG Liwei, who lost their lives in the terrorist bombing in Sri Lanka. 

Apart from families and relatives of Dr. LI Dawei and Dr. WANG Liwei, over 200 people came to the mourning, including WANG Hong, member of the leading party group of MNR and director of the State Oceanic Administration, WANG Qingxian, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and secretary of the CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee, YU Guo'an, vice governor of Shandong Provincial People's Government, ZHU Peiji, deputy mayor of Qingdao Municipal People's Government, SUN Heng, representative of the CPC Zibo Municipal Committee and Zibo Municipal People's Government, MA Sile, deputy mayor of Pingdu Municipal People's Government, leaders of governments at all levels and related departments, members of the party and government leading group of FIO, leaders of the Institute of Meteorology and Oceanography of the National University of Defense Technology, and staff representatives of FIO.

LU Hao, Minister of Natural Resources, LING Yueming, Vice Minister of MNR, and WANG Hong, member of the leading party group of MNR and director of the State Oceanic Administration also paid tribute and expressed their deepest condolences to families and friends of Dr. LI Dawei and Dr. WANG Liwei.

Over 40 national ministries and commissions, governments at all levels and related departments, have sent telegrams of condolence, placed wreaths and expressed their grief, including Ministry of Natural Resources of State Oceanic Administration, Shandong Provincial People's Government, CPC Qingdao Municipal Committee, Qingdao Municipal People's Government, Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing, Department of Earth Sciences of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, China Ocean Mineral Resource R&D Association, Beihai Bureau of Ministry of Natural Resources, South China Sea Bureau of Ministry of Natural Resources, National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center, National Marine Data & Information Service, National Deep Sea Center, Second Institute of Oceanography of Ministry of Natural Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography of Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao Oceantec Valley, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ocean University of China, Shanghai Ocean University, Shandong University, and Shandong University of Science and Technology.

At the beginning of the mourning event, participants mourned the demise of Dr. LI Dawei and Dr. WANG Liwei. QIAO Fangli, secretary of FIO's Party Committee, sent a eulogy to Dr. LI Dawei. He called on FIO staff to follow the example of Dr. Li Dawei, and learn from his courage to go forward, tenacity against dangers, and the spirit of seeking truth, being pragmatic, and serving the country. He also called on all to unswervingly carry forward the great cause of constructing the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road", continue to build a "marine community of shared future", and strive to realize the strategic goal of becoming a maritime power, so that we can realize Dr. Li Dawei's unfinished dream and pursuit. ZHOU Guichu, deputy political commissar of the Institute of Meteorology and Oceanography of National University of Defense Technology, sent a eulogy to Dr. WANG Liwei. He said that Dr. WANG’s firm and lofty ideals and convictions, the spirit of exploration, the selfless struggle and the noble character of optimism and improvement will always influence and inspire us to continue to move forward on the journey of marine scientific research.

At the end of the event, participants bowed three times to Dr. LI Dawei and Dr. WANG Liwei.

Dr. LI Dawei and Dr. WANG Liwei are young talent of China, young models of patriotic and dedicated scientists, and the backbones of the marine scientific research front. Their scientific survey tasks are important for promoting international marine science and technology cooperation and serving the construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. They interpreted the value of loyalty, responsibility and service to the country by being dedicated to the construction of a maritime power. The country and their relatives will always miss them! The marine exploration will remember their presence!