China finds no terror link to its nationals on jet

By: 10 years ago

An unidentified woman wearing a mask depicting the flight of the missing Malaysia Airline, MH370, poses in front of the “wall of hope” at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia, Monday, March 17, 2014. The search for the missing Malaysian jet pushed deep into the northern and southern hemispheres Monday as Australia scoured the southern Indian Ocean and China offered 21 satellites to respond to Malaysia’s call for help in the unprecedented hunt. AP

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — China’s state news agency says background checks on all its nationals on board the missing Malaysian jetliner have uncovered no links to terrorism.

Xinhua said the Chinese ambassador to Malaysia made the statement Tuesday to media in Kuala Lumpur.

There has been some speculation that Uighur separatists in far western Xinjiang province might have been involved with the flight’s disappearance.

The statement will lessen that speculation.

Xinhua also reported that Chinese authorities have begun searching for the plane on Chinese territory.

There were 154 Chinese among the 227 passengers aboard on Flight 370, which went missing March 8 on its way to Beijing.