The screenshot of a news program shows the boat from Shandong Province sinking in the water of East China Sea. [Photo: CCTV]

The search for 17 missing sailors is still underway in the East China Sea more than 24 hours after a Chinese fishing boat collided with a Maltese cargo ship and sank.

The sunken boat was from Shandong province.

It had 19 crew members on board when the collision took place early on Saturday morning.

So far only two of the 19 people on board have been recovered.But both are dead.

The search-and-rescue operation involves 7 vessels from the PLA's East China Sea Fleet.

Yang Chao with the rescue operation command says they scoured the area surrounding the crash site as soon as they arrived, but without any progress.

"We have seven vessels here searching the missing sailors. The rescue vessels are in two groups and have completed searching in waters 15 nautical miles round the crash site and will continue search effort in expanded areas."

An initial investigation shows that the Maltese ship hit the fishing boat, and continued sailing. It's not clear if that cargo vessel suffered any damage.

Local Chinese maritime authorities have ordered the bulk carrier to return for investigation.