Search, investigation equally important to discover fate of MH370

Search operations for the ill-fated Malaysian jet MH370, now eleven days in, have yielded no results as of yet. To find the truth of what what happened to the missing plane, investigation is as important as the search.

As time passes and efforts are redeployed, the search operation has increasingly faced difficulties, including two vast corridors, a vast search area of 7.7 million square km and 4 to 5 kms depth of the Indian Ocean, which could lead to the malfunction of some equipment.

More and more countries and organizations have joined the search and rescue mission, which reflects their respect for humanity and life.

However, this multinational cooperation has also been tested by radar and satellite information sharing, the coordination of army, navy and air forces and optimization of the design of the search and rescue plan, all of which are vital to the operation.

There is no denying that the current search is still the top priority, but deep investigation is also indispensable as only meticulous investigation could improve the efficiency of the search against a backdrop of numerous rumors and misleading information.

Moreover, criminal investigation could help clarify the motive and purpose of who may be behind the incident, and possibly offer clues as to the plane's route and destination.

In the long term, investigation will help us improve aviation safety and learn lessons for the future.

There is no time to waste for the sake of the 239 lives aboard the missing plane. It is necessary for relevant parties to share such information and data, either radar or others, to help search countries better use their manpower, material resources and technologies.