China has launched an emergency mechanism after a flight carrying some 160 Chinese lost contact with air controllers earlier Saturday.

"We are very worried after learning the news. We are trying to get in touch with relevant parties to check it out," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a written statement on Saturday morning.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies in Malaysia and Vietnam have launched an emergency mechanism.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2014)