Wang Qi was released from prison in 1969 and he has, since, lived in Madhya Pradesh.
Five decades after he crossed over to India after the 1962 war, a Chinese soldier is all set to fly back to his native country. "Wang with his wife Sushila, and their son Vishnu and two other family members will be flying to China," Balaghat Collector Bharat Yadav told news agency PTI. He was speaking about Wang Qi, a Chinese prisoner of war who settled in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district after his release from jail and raised a family in Bhopal after marrying an Indian.
Wang and his four family members got visa due to the help they received from the Ministry of Home and External Affairs, Mr Yadav said.
Soon after their arrival in Beijing tomorrow, Wang and his family are expected to travel to his native place in Shaanxi Province to meet his relatives, PTI said.
Wang's travel to China comes within a week after a delegation from the Chinese Embassy met him. "Three officials from Chinese Embassy in India met my father and talked to him for more than an hour. They assured him all possible help to visit China," said his son Vishnu (35).
"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," son Vishnu said.
Wang was caught by Indian Red Cross team in Assam and handed over to the Indian Army on January 1, 1963. "My father spent six years in prisons in Assam, Ajmer, Delhi before the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered his release in March 1969," Vishnu said.
After his release from prison, Wang started working as a watchman with a mill. He married Sushila in 1975.
Wang's plight was recently highlighted in a special report by the BBC, following which the Chinese state-run Global Times said that helping the soldier's return will enhance Sino-Indian ties and enhance mutual understanding. The paper also added, "Wang's story causes quite a stir on China's social media and appeals are rising that the man should be helped back home as soon as possible."
(with inputs from PTI)