MH370 crash: Don’t let anger prevail over rationality, says China media

BEIJING: China should treat the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 "rationally", a commentary in state media said Monday, after days of lurid accusations by relatives insisting their loved ones could still be alive.

Under the headline "Treat MH370 tragedy rationally", the commentary in the China Daily newspaper, which is run by the government, said: "It is certain that flight MH370 crashed in the Indian Ocean and no one on board survived."

"We should not let anger prevail over facts and rationality," it said. "We need to comply with the fundamental norms of a civilised society and need to show the demeanour of a great power."

Irrational words and behaviour would "not help matters", it added, and those involved should "prepare to make arrangements for funerals".

"We need to understand the crisis is perhaps the most bizarre incident in Asian civil aviation history. It is understandable that as a developing country, the Malaysia government felt completely at a loss."

It stressed that finding the aircraft and analysing technical data would take time.

"Why cannot we be patient and just wait until they find the wreckage and get the evidence?" it asked.

"Public opinion should not blame the Malaysian authorities for deliberately covering up information in the absence of hard evidence," it added.

The author, Mei Xinyu, is a researcher at a commerce ministry institute who is known for his analyses of international trade disputes.

His tone was in stark contrast to that of many relatives of the 153 Chinese on board the flight, who are still clinging to hopes that they could somehow still be alive. - AFP