A Chinese veteran was the centre of a long-awaited family reunion after he spent 54 years trapped in India.
Wang Qi, 78, arrived in China on Saturday along with his son, daughter-in-law and grandson where he was greeted by officials from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“Today is the happiest day of my life,” Wang told CGTN as he set foot in Beijing. “I just can’t express how excited I am.”
Wang was working along the border while serving in the Chinese army after the Sino-Indian war in 1963 when he lost his way in the forest. He crossed into India where he was captured by the Indian Red Cross and handed over to the Indian Army.
CGTN reported that Wang was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for espionage and once he was released, he was relocated to a remote village in southern India and told to start a new life there.
He reportedly tried to return to China but the Indian government never granted him citizenship, which prevented him from securing travel documents.
Media scrutiny of his story and a nephew who visited him in 2009 helped secure the necessary documents for Wang to travel back to his homeland. The reunion was timed around the Lunar New Year celebrations in China.
Wang’s son Vishnu Wang said his father was overcome with emotion when he saw his siblings again after flying to Xianyang International Airport from Beijing.
“My father met with his family for the first time after 54 years,” said Vishnu. “He couldn’t stop crying.”
Wang was tearfully greeted by more than 60 relatives, friends and former comrades at the local airport.
“Wang Qi, as the former leader of your platoon, I have been looking forward to seeing you again for more than five decades,” former leader Wang Zuguo said as he greeted the veteran. “I convey a warm welcome from all our old comrades to you.”
The family said they plan on visiting Wang’s mother’s grave. Although he spoke to her over the phone in 2002, he did not get a chance to see her before she passed away in 2006.
Wang’s wife and other children stayed behind in India due to health concerns, but he is reportedly considering relocating his family to China where he wants to spend the remaining years of his life.