'Time is life'

China's Foreign Ministry has asked the Malaysian authorities to provide more complete and accurate information. "It's now been eight days and the plane is still missing," ministry spokesman Qin Gang said after the briefing. "Time is life."

A Chinese delegation, which had an official meeting with the Malaysian authorities on March 12, also requested that Kuala Lumpur improve the efficiency of its communications.

"The frequent changes of information have put people affected by the incident on an emotional rollercoaster," said Guo Shaochun, the leader of the Chinese delegation. "In addition to search and rescue, effective communications is a top priority for us."

Mohamed Hatta Shaharm, a Kuala Lumpur-based psychiatrist, said the rumors and miscommunication are psychologically damaging to the families and friends of those aboard the missing plane.

Li Xuefeng, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance in Beijing who specializes in emergency management, said: "The Malaysian authorities haven't done a good job in terms of communication, which is one of the main reasons for the current chaos."

He said the Malaysian side hasn't disclosed enough clear information, and the paucity of hard facts has fuelled anxiety and fear. "In the first few days after the flight went missing, communications between the Malaysia Airlines and the military were poor. The emergency operations center was also set up too late," he said. "Before they had even organized a team to investigate the technological details of the incident, rumors had started to spread and the authorities have struggled to cope with the questions raised by the media."

A senior captain from a Chinese airline said that the chaos is the result of confused messages from Malaysia.

"Even after eight days, we still don't even know exactly when air traffic control lost contact with the flight," said the pilot, who declined to be named. He added that there may have been a breakdown in communications between the airline and the authorities in Kuala Lumpur.