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China is 'biggest spender' in search

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The hunt for the Malaysia Airlines jet has become the most expensive maritime search operation that China has been involved in, according to experts.

"China is the nation that has sent the largest group of ships and aircraft to the search," said Wang Ya'nan, deputy editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine.

"Therefore, we can be sure that the nation must have become the biggest spender in the operation, although no official figures are available."

Wang said the costs for fuel and wear on equipment are basically identical for China and Western nations, so it only takes some simple calculations to assess the amount spent by each nation based on the scale of their involvement in the search.

China's military has not disclosed how much it has spent on the far-flung, month long search. Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng sidestepped a question on the issue at a news conference on March 27.

China, home to the majority of the 239 people on board the Boeing 777-200, has sent 18 ships, eight helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft to various search areas.

Liu Jianping, a military expert, told the newspaper that the costs for vessels include fuel, water, food, medicine, salaries and subsidies for personnel. The vessels need constant maintenance and incur significant depreciation costs, he added.

At least $44 million has already been spent on the deployment of military ships and aircraft in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea by China, Australia, the United States and Vietnam, Reuters estimated in a report. This does not cover all the defense assets being used by countries including Britain, New Zealand and South Korea.