A 78-year-old Chinese veteran who was trapped in India for 54 years has finally returned to China on Saturday.

Wang Qi, a former Chinese army surveyor who got lost and was captured by Indian authorities in 1963, landed at Beijing Capital International Airport at midday, accompanied by three members of his family. He said he could not wait to see his relatives and friends in his hometown of Xianyang in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Wang lost his way in a forest on China's border with India while constructing roads for the People's Liberation Army in January 1963, shortly after the end of the Sino-Indian border conflict. He said he "strayed erroneously" inside India's territory and was arrested by Indian troops. Later, he was imprisoned by Indian authorities for seven years for “espionage." He spent the following 47 years in a remote village in south India after being released from prison.

Wang had repeatedly applied to return to China since 1977, but had not received any reply from Indian authorities until earlier this week.