Singapore (CNN) -- In 2003, the SARS virus epidemic was a wake-up call for Asia, forcing China to increase transparency, fostering closer regional cooperation and bringing human security issues to the fore. The disappearance of MH370 will have a similar transformative effect on regional security, but it will take a different form. In recent years, the focus -- driven by the need to protect the waters of approximately a third of the world's trade, as well as access to energy and resources -- has been on sea lanes, concentrating on reducing piracy and enhancing naval cooperation. The United States, India, Japan and China have all ratcheted up their patrols, buttressed by the smaller naval operations of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
@highlight
Post MH370, attention will increasingly turn to the skies in terms of security, says Welsh
@highlight
Current focus on maritime security in Asia has led to tensions, especially with China
@highlight
"No coordination or mechanism for effective information sharing" in the region
@highlight
Welsh: Asia needs better governance, stronger multilateral ties
China's increasingly assertive position has engendered a wariness among countries in the region that has been an undercurrent in the cooperation between neighbors during the current @placeholder crisis.