Better joint search needed

The whereabouts of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and the fate of the 227 passengers, including 154 Chinese, and 12 crew members aboard are still unknown.

The plane lost contact after leaving Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on Saturday. It is still too early to judge whether there was a terrorist attack as questions over two false IDs arise.

What most urgent now is to search and rescue the missing plane and people on board. Search and rescue efforts by vessels and planes from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, the United States and Singapore are still underway in the South China Sea south of Vietnam. No country can accomplish this arduous task alone given the vast area of South China Sea. However, only by sharing timely information and strengthening coordination can the seven countries better cooperate in the joint search and rescue mission.