Chinese leaders urge Malaysia flight emergency response

BEIJING - President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday urged emergency measures over the missing Malaysian flight bound for Beijing with more than 150 Chinese nationals on board.

Xi ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as Chinese embassies and consulates to strengthen contact with departments of relevant countries and pay close attention to the search and rescue work for the plane, which lost contact with traffic controllers at 1:20 am on Saturday.

All-out efforts must be made for any emergency treatment necessary in the aftermath of the incident, Xi said in his instruction.

The Ministry of Transportation and the Civil Aviation Administration must launch emergency measures immediately and enhance security checks to ensure the "absolute safety" of China's civil aviation operation, according to the president.

Premier Li instructed the government to intensify communication and contact with civil aviation agencies of Malaysia, urging them to intensify the search effort.

He also called for details of the Chinese passengers aboard the plane to be verified as soon as possible.

Relevant departments should cooperate with foreign parties to prepare for emergency rescue and liaise with passengers' families in a timely and appropriate manner, Li said.

The Beijing-bound flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200, departed Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur at 12:42 am Beijing time on Saturday, and was expected to land in Beijing at 6:30 am the same day. The plane is carrying 239 people, including more than 150 Chinese passengers.

Having launched emergency mechanisms, the ministries and Chinese embassies in Malaysia and Vietnam are making all-our efforts to cope with the incident.