Lessons to be learnt from MH370 search

Weeks have passed since the world lost contact with Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 and its 239 passengers and crew.

On Monday, China announced it was sending more planes and ships to the southern Indian Ocean, where the plane is believed to have crashed. By Monday, seven Chinese navy ships, carrying five helicopters in total, have been in the area of 320,000 square kilometers in the southern Indian Ocean where the plane is thought to have gone down.

China's emergency multi-departmental, quick-response mechanism has proved its competency. The day after the flight was reported missing, the marine and transport authorities, as well as the navy and air force, received orders to prepare to conduct search and rescue operations, and a series of Chinese merchant ships were also diverted from their courses and coordinated as part of the search and rescue operations.