Chinese naval ships step up MH370 search efforts

Chinese naval vessels have intensified their efforts searching for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean, said a Xinhua reporter on the scene. [Special coverage]

Two Chinese naval ships, Jinggangshan and Kunlunshan, joined Chinese petrol ship Haixun 01 on Saturday in the search area located between 20 to 26 degrees south latitude and 101 to 104 degrees east longitude.

Chinese missile destroyer Haikou was tasked with the search area centered at 26 degrees south latitude and 96 degrees east longitude, and Chinese supply ship Qiandaohu searched a designated area south of 29 degrees south latitude and 98 degrees east longitude.

The four-ship Chinese naval flotilla convened on March 30 in waters west of Australia's Perth to coordinate the search for the missing flight.

The flotilla has so far found and ruled out several suspicious objects, but nothing related to the missing plane has yet been located, Xinhua was told.