Wang Qi (77)

Bhopal, February 10

Five decades since he crossed over to India post the 1962 war and raised a family in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, a Chinese soldier is all set to fly back to his native country.Wang Qi, now 77, was caught when he entered the Indian territory shortly after the Sino-India War of 1962. He was later released from jail.”Wang with his wife Sushila, and their son Vishnu and two other family members will be flying to China,” Balaghat Collector Bharat Yadav said.He said Wang and his four family members got visa today and they might fly to China tomorrow, adding this became possible due to the help they received from the Ministry of Home and External Affairs. Official sources in Beijing said Wang and his family members were expected to arrive there tomorrow.After their arrival, they would travel to his native place in Shaanxi Province to meet Wang’s relatives, they said. Yesterday, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that it was following up the case and helping Wang and his family members to visit China to meet his extended family. The development has come within a week after a delegation from the Chinese Embassy met Wang who had been wanting to visit his country. Wang, who lives with his wife and three children in Tirodi area of Balaghat, has not been able to visit China for want to permission from Indian government, according to the family. — PTI