BEIJING - Families of Chinese passengers on board MH370 are concerned the discovery of debris possibly belonging to the missing Malaysian aircraft may disrupt the international search operation.

In a statement issued Thursday, a group of family members urged all parties committed to the search to keep up their efforts while the origin of a plane part washed up on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion is determined.

They also called for Malaysia to reopen a help center for Chinese victims' families that was closed on May 7, and for a third party to supervise the investigation into the plane's disappearance.

Carrying 239 people, the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished on March 8, 2014. The ongoing search operation has found no verified sign of the plane.

Malaysia Airlines said Thursday that it would be premature to speculate on the origin of the debris, while the Malaysian government said it has sent a team to determine whether it comes from MH370.