Many countries have praised Vietnam for its leading role in the ongoing search for a Malaysia Airlines plane which went missing on March 8 on the way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

In an article published in China’s Global Times on March 11, Xu Liping, an expert from the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategies under the China Institute of Social Sciences, thanked Vietnam for its efforts and active role in the search.

Many countries, especially Vietnam, have been strongly participating in the search, the expert said, adding that at the request from Malaysia, Vietnam immediately dispatched aircraft and vessels to suspected sites at sea.

According to the article, the operation has received great support from Vietnamese military and transport forces. Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Vo Van Tuan has directly instructed the search and rescue activities.

A command office was set up on Phu Quoc Island, which is near the plane’s last known location, to coordinate the search.

The article also highlighted the fact that Vietnam affirmed its willingness to join search teams from other countries, and has allowed Chinese vessels to join the operation in Vietnamese waters.

The mobilisation of all forces for the massive search reflects the country’s sincerity and determination in the mission, the expert added.

Meanwhile, the BBC said that through its search efforts, the Vietnamese Government has shown international responsibility for a humanitarian matter that involves many countries. The images of planes and vessels from Vietnamese naval and maritime police forces have regularly appeared in UK newspapers.

Major news agencies such as the BBC and CNN have regularly taken updated information from Vietnam’s television channels and websites. Local media has rapidly accessed information sources and become a main source for foreign newspapers.

About 70 reporters from major news agencies in the region and the world have arrived in Vietnam to cover the case, helping bring the voice of Vietnamese officials to the world as soon as possible.-VNA