A Chinese newspaper close to China's leadership has lashed out at Malaysia over the missing flight MH370, saying it must not shirk its responsibilities, and be more forthcoming with information about the lost passenger jet.
In a strongly-worded editorial today, Global Times said the plane's disappearance "must be investigated thoroughly and the crux of problems on the Malaysian side must be found out".
"The Malaysian side cannot shirk its responsibilities. Until yesterday, it could not even ensure accurate information about the passengers. The initial response from Malaysia was not swift enough.
"There are loopholes in the work of Malaysia Airlines and security authorities," the pro-Beijing paper said in its news portal.
It pointed out that aircraft accidents usually occurred during take-off and landings, not during flight.
"The missing MH370 took place high in the sky, which makes us doubtful. No matter what the reason, it has influenced the way in which people see air safety.
"If it is due to a deadly mechanical breakdown or pilot error, then Malaysia Airlines should take the blame.
"If this is a terrorist attack, then the security check at the Kuala Lumpur airport and on the flight is questionable. If it is due to some natural or uncontrollable factors, all airlines across the world, including Malaysia Airlines, should draw a lesson," it said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama meanwhile, spoke by telephone Monday, with Obama offering his sympathy and saying the US was willing to work "comprehensively" with China on the rescue effort, Beijing's foreign ministry said.
Nearly two-thirds of the 239 people aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 were from China, and if the loss of the aircraft is confirmed, it would be China's second-worst air disaster in terms of the number of Chinese nationals involved.
Investigations have been launched into suspect passengers after officials said two Europeans whose names were on the passenger manifest – who both had their passports stolen in Thailand – were not on board, AFP reported.
The China Daily newspaper wrote in an editorial that "terrorism cannot be ruled out", with Malaysian and international authorities still at a loss to explain how at least two passengers were able to board with stolen Italian and Austrian passports.
"Who were they and why were they using false passports?" the paper asked.
"The fact that some of the passengers on board were travelling with false passports should serve as a reminder to the whole world that security can never be too tight, at airports in particular, since terrorism, the evil of the world, is still trying to stain human civilisation with the blood of innocent lives," it added.
Malaysia's Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said yesterday that the two passengers using stolen passports appeared to be ethnically Asian.
"I am still puzzled how come (immigration officers) cannot think: an Italian and Austrian but with Asian facial features," he was quoted as saying by Malaysia's national news agency Bernama.
Aviation authorities reported no luck today in finding the plane and were waiting for results of tests on oil slicks for clues of the missing passenger jet
