Twelve Chinese crew members are still missing two days after a Panama-registered cargo ship with 22 Chinese on board sank near Guam, the China Maritime Search and Rescue Center (CMSRC) said on Friday.

Ten crew members, including the captain Liu Jianzhong, were rescued on Wednesday, the day after the ship, Tai Tong 7, sank more than 600 km northwest of Guam due to storms brought by Typhoon Man-yi.

"Rescue efforts have continued two days after the incident but a dozen crew members are still missing," said a statement from the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles.

The Chinese-flagged bulk log carrier, owned by Fuzhou Haijing Shipping, was en route from Papua New Guinea to China when the cargo began shifting as the vessel encountered 70 mph winds and 24-foot waves, according to survivors.

Passing vessels, such as "Horizon Falcon" and "Ikan Belis", were directed to the accident site, and a fixed-wing aircraft from the US Coast Guard joined the rescue, said the CMSRC.

The sinking ship had kept in touch with the Coast Guard after being notified by the latter about the incident. Another two fixed-wing aircraft arrived at the scene on Friday morning to search for the remaining crew members, according to the CMSRC.

Eight of the survivors are being taken to Guam, a US territory 5,950 km southwest of Hawaii, and the other two have stayed on board the US-flagged "Horizon Falcon" to help with the rescue of the remaining 12.

Extreme winds and torrential rain have continued to hit the area on Thursday as Man-yi continued to move northeastward, threatening Japan and the Ryukyu Islands, according to weather forecasts.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan have expressed great concern for the crew members and have asked relevant departments to coordinate efforts to rescue them.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially invited the US to join the rescue, and directed Chinese embassy and consulates in the US to respond "properly" to the emergency.

The eight survivors are expected to arrive at Guam early on Saturday morning.

(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2007)