Search for the missing aircraft will continue: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (1st L) gives a press conference for the third session of China's 12th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2015. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

The Malaysian government has vowed that the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 will continue, despite an interim report, issued a year after the Boeing 777's disappearance, finding that the battery on the flight's data recorder has expired before the aircraft vanished.

"According to maintenance records, the SSFDR ULB [solid state flight data recorder underwater locator beacon] battery expired in December 2012. There is no evidence to suggest that the SSFDR ULB battery had been replaced before the expiry date," said the report.

The report was issued by a 19-member independent safety investigation team, established by the Ministry of Transport Malaysia. The purpose of releasing the investigation is to prevent future accidents or incidents rather than to apportion blame or liability, it added.

The interim report attributed the maintenance lapse on replacing the battery to a failure to correctly update the computer system used to track and call out maintenance issues.

"Once beyond the expiry date, the ULB effectiveness decreases so it may operate, for a reduced time period until it finally discharges," the report added.

But it also said that the beacon locator for the cockpit voice battery was replaced as scheduled, with the next expiry in June 2014. The two instruments, also known as black boxes, are crucial to investigate the cause of any crash.

The report also said that no red flags related to the crew or mechanical issues have been found.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday on the sidelines of the annual parliamentary session that the search for MH370 will continue.

"Today must be a tough day for the family members of those onboard MH370. Our hearts are with you," Wang told a press conference on Sunday.

"We will provide all necessary assistance and services to each family of those onboard the plane," Wang said. "We will help you uphold legitimate interests and lawful rights."

Flight MH370 disappeared during a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board. Among the 227 passengers, 154 are Chinese.

No debris from MH370 has yet been found, despite a massive surface and underwater hunt, jointly carried out by China, Malaysia and Australia in the Indian Ocean.

On January 29, the Malaysian government declared the disappearance of MH370 was officially an accident, with everyone onboard presumed dead.

"The lack of answers and definitive proof, such as aircraft wreckage, has made this more difficult to bear," Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Sunday.

Malaysia remained committed to the search for MH370 and hoped it could be found, he said in a statement.