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| Sniping over missing Malaysia Airlines flight reflects long-simmering regional tensions | Sniping over missing Malaysia Airlines flight reflects long-simmering regional tensions |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BEIJING — The international hunt for the vanished Malaysia Airlines jet has been plagued by almost daily sniping, accusations of withheld information and diplomatic sensitivities. | BEIJING — The international hunt for the vanished Malaysia Airlines jet has been plagued by almost daily sniping, accusations of withheld information and diplomatic sensitivities. |
| China has criticized Malaysia’s leading of the investigation. Vietnam at one point suspended its search after it believed Malaysia was holding back relevant radar information. And on Sunday, the search expanded from 14 countries to 25, further complicating an already difficult search effort. | |
| The recent sniping is a reflection, in many ways, of the long-simmering tensions in the region. Many countries at the core of the search are the very ones who have been at each others’ throats in recent years, fighting over territories not too far from where the plane first vanished. | The recent sniping is a reflection, in many ways, of the long-simmering tensions in the region. Many countries at the core of the search are the very ones who have been at each others’ throats in recent years, fighting over territories not too far from where the plane first vanished. |
| The countries arguing over the South China Sea alone includes six of the entities heading up the search team: China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia. | |
| Just days ago, at the same time they were teaming up on the search for Flight 370, Chinese and Filipino authorities were engaging in yet another skirmish over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. | |
| Add to that the continuing territorial skirmishes between China and Japan, and China and India. | Add to that the continuing territorial skirmishes between China and Japan, and China and India. |
| “Everybody wants to find out what happened,” said Jarrod Bernstein, a former homeland security department official. “Everybody wants to cooperate, but geopolitics sometimes get in the way of that.” | |
| The most shrill voice all week has been China, which has voiced daily, at times hourly, criticism of Malaysia’s handling of the search. Its Foreign Ministry has repeatedly urged Malaysia to “step up their efforts and speed up their investigation.” And China’s leaders keep sending more assets and representatives ratcheting up pressure. | The most shrill voice all week has been China, which has voiced daily, at times hourly, criticism of Malaysia’s handling of the search. Its Foreign Ministry has repeatedly urged Malaysia to “step up their efforts and speed up their investigation.” And China’s leaders keep sending more assets and representatives ratcheting up pressure. |
| The latest editorial Sunday by China’s official Xinhua News Agency captured the Chinese attitude best, accusing Malaysia of “dereliction of duty” and “intolerable” reluctance to share vital information. | The latest editorial Sunday by China’s official Xinhua News Agency captured the Chinese attitude best, accusing Malaysia of “dereliction of duty” and “intolerable” reluctance to share vital information. |
| Much of China’s urgency stems from the fact that 154 of the 239 passengers were from China or Taiwan. But there’s also a trail of bad blood between the two nations. | Much of China’s urgency stems from the fact that 154 of the 239 passengers were from China or Taiwan. But there’s also a trail of bad blood between the two nations. |
| In recent years, China aggressively entered what Malaysia considers its territorial waters. | |
| That may partly explain Malaysia’s reluctance and delay for days in revealing that its military and radar operators failed to track the rogue plane even as it turned and flew across one of Malaysia’s biggest cities. | That may partly explain Malaysia’s reluctance and delay for days in revealing that its military and radar operators failed to track the rogue plane even as it turned and flew across one of Malaysia’s biggest cities. |
| “I believe Malaysia was defensive about this and embarrassed,” said Ernest Bower, a Southeast Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. With many Malaysians viewing China as a growing threat and competitor, their failure on radar detection sends a “signal to China and other neighbors that they are not able to use their maritime and aviation domain awareness capabilities to full effect.” | |
| Malaysian authorities, however, insist they have been forthcoming. And Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has pointed repeatedly to their eventual release of military radar data as proof the government is prioritizing the search above all else, even national security concerns. | Malaysian authorities, however, insist they have been forthcoming. And Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has pointed repeatedly to their eventual release of military radar data as proof the government is prioritizing the search above all else, even national security concerns. |
| China has been accused of being similarly careful about being overly shy about revealing too much about its capabilities during the search. When China released satellite photos showing possible debris earlier this week, some analysts pointed out the fuzzy, grainy quality and accused China of hiding its true high-resolution capabilities. | |
| Such sensitivities are only likely to increase. On Sunday, Malaysia pleaded for many countries to share their satellite and military radar data along two new search paths that stretch northward from Thailand to Kazakhstan and southward into the Indian Ocean. | Such sensitivities are only likely to increase. On Sunday, Malaysia pleaded for many countries to share their satellite and military radar data along two new search paths that stretch northward from Thailand to Kazakhstan and southward into the Indian Ocean. |
| When asked how many of those countries have agreed to turn over such data, Hishammuddin declined to answer the question, acknowledging that there were national security concerns for many countries. But he said, “any information that can help us, without even revealing it to media or public, will be taken into consideration.” | |
| One bright spot is a fairly robust track record of cooperation between the United States and Malaysia, which already share intelligence and joint exercises. | One bright spot is a fairly robust track record of cooperation between the United States and Malaysia, which already share intelligence and joint exercises. |
| That cooperation can be seen in the U.S. teams now on the ground assisting Malaysian authorities, despite hiccups along the way. | That cooperation can be seen in the U.S. teams now on the ground assisting Malaysian authorities, despite hiccups along the way. |
| “The big mistakes happened in the first several days before the Malaysians opened the kimono and had expert help coming in,” Bowers said. “They are now embracing the assistance.” | “The big mistakes happened in the first several days before the Malaysians opened the kimono and had expert help coming in,” Bowers said. “They are now embracing the assistance.” |