Close X
Friday, November 1, 2024
ADVT 
International

Chinese Soldier, Who Accidentally Crossed Border And Came To India, Returns Home After 54 Years

IANS, 11 Feb, 2017 02:14 PM
    A Chinese soldier, who was stuck in India for over 50 years after he crossed over the border post 1962 war, today arrived in Beijing with his Indian family members to an emotional reunion with his Chinese kin.
     
    Wang Qi, 77, was received by his close Chinese relatives, besides officials of the China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Indian embassy when he arrived here along with his son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter from Delhi-Beijing flight.
     
    Wang Qi became emotional as he hugged his relatives, their first reunion after he crossed into Indian side over five decades ago.
     
    "It was an emotional reunion," an official present at the airport told PTI here.
     
    Wang Qi was accompanied by his son Vishnu Wang, 35, daughter-in-law Neha and granddaughter, Khanak Wang. His Indian wife Shushila, however, stayed back.
     
    Indian officials said Wang Qi and family members will be later flown to Xian, the provincial capital in Shaanxi province from where he will be taken to his native village Xue Zhai Nan Cun in the province.
     
     
    His return became a possibility after India and China worked out modalities for both Wang Qi and his Indian family to travel together to China and later return as per their wish.
     
    Wang Qi was caught when he entered the Indian territory shortly after the Sino-India War of 1962.
     
     
    After his release from prison in 1969, he settled in Tirodi village of Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh.
     
    Though his story has been published by Indian media several times in the past, a recent BBC TV feature on him was widely picked by the Chinese social media highlighting his plight, prompting the Chinese government to initiate action in coordination with India to facilitate his return.
     
    The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on February 6 that he was provided a passport to travel to China in 2013 and he was also paid a living allowance.
     
    Chinese Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui recently spoke to him.
     
    While the Chinese government has provided visas for his family to visit China, India has provided a re-entry visa for Wang to return back if he chooses to.
     
    Indian officials terms the facilitation of the travel of Wang and his family by both sides s positive development, specially at a time when India-China relations were stuck with differences over issues like China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China blocking India's entry into Nuclear Suppliers Group and listing of JeM leader Masood Azhar as terrorist by UN.
     
    Before leaving for Beijing, Vishnu Wang, told media in India yesterday that "my father joined the Chinese Army in 1960 and he entered India through the eastern frontier after losing his way in the darkness one night."
     
     
    He landed in Assam where an Indian Red Cross team handed him over to the Indian Army on January 1, 1963.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    YouTube Star Adam Saleh Says Kicked Off Delta Flight For Speaking Arabic

    YouTube Star Adam Saleh Says Kicked Off Delta Flight For Speaking Arabic
    A Yemeni-American YouTube star from New York, Adam Saleh, called for a boycott of Delta Airlines after charging he was removed from one of its flights on Wednesday for speaking Arabic.

    YouTube Star Adam Saleh Says Kicked Off Delta Flight For Speaking Arabic

    Navjot Singh Sidhu Meets Rahul Gandhi, Hours After BJP's Big Win In Chandigarh

    Navjot Singh Sidhu Meets Rahul Gandhi, Hours After BJP's Big Win In Chandigarh
    Navjot Singh Sidhu, whose quest for a new political party has reportedly led him to the Congress, today met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi for talks that lasted 45 minutes. 

    Navjot Singh Sidhu Meets Rahul Gandhi, Hours After BJP's Big Win In Chandigarh

    Vedic Culture Growing Popular Among Indian Diaspora

    Vedic Culture Growing Popular Among Indian Diaspora
    Vedic culture is still relevant and gradually becoming more popular among Indian diaspora, especially in the youth, said researchers and scholars at a seminar held in the national capital.

    Vedic Culture Growing Popular Among Indian Diaspora

    Delhi Woman Allegedly Murders Her Sister For Taking Interest In Boyfriend

    Delhi Woman Allegedly Murders Her Sister For Taking Interest In Boyfriend
    A 21-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly murdering her elder sister in northeast Delhi's Shastri Park area for showing interest in the former's boyfriend, police said on Monday.

    Delhi Woman Allegedly Murders Her Sister For Taking Interest In Boyfriend

    US Man Throws Hot Coffee Over Muslim Woman, Calls Her Terrorist

    US Man Throws Hot Coffee Over Muslim Woman, Calls Her Terrorist
    A homeless man at a Dunkin Donuts store in US threw hot coffee in the face of a Muslim woman, called her a terrorist and assaulted her on Monday, police said.

    US Man Throws Hot Coffee Over Muslim Woman, Calls Her Terrorist

    Canada Asks Taliban To Free Couple Held For 4 Years In Afghanistan

    Canada Asks Taliban To Free Couple Held For 4 Years In Afghanistan
    Canada called Monday for the unconditional release of a Canadian man and his American wife after a new video appeared to show them begging their governments to intervene on their behalf with their Afghan captors.

    Canada Asks Taliban To Free Couple Held For 4 Years In Afghanistan