China hopes its missing soldier held by Indian Army will be released soon

BEIJING: The Chinese military has expressed hope that its missing soldier apprehended by the Indian Army in Eastern Ladakh will be released soon.

A Chinese soldier was apprehended by the Indian Army in the Demchok sector of Eastern Ladakh on Monday after he had "strayed" across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), an incident that comes amid a massive deployment of troops by the two militaries in the region following the border standoff since May.

The Indian Army said in a statement on Monday that the soldier, a Corporal in the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), has been identified as Wang Ya Long and he will be returned to the Chinese military at the Chushul-Moldo border point after completion of formalities.

"China hopes that India will hand over soon the Chinese soldier who got lost in China-India border areas on the evening of October 18 when helping local herdsmen retrieve a yak at their request," said Senior Colonel Zhang Shuili, spokesperson for the Western Theater Command of the PLA said in a statement on Monday night.

"The PLA border troops informed the Indian military right after the incident and hoped the Indian side would aid in search and rescue, and the Indian side promised to offer help and return the missing soldier timely after finding him," he said.

The latest information from the Indian side is that the lost Chinese soldier has been found and will be handed over to the Chinese side after receiving medical examination, Col. Zhang said.

"We hope that the Indian side will live up to its promise to hand over the missing Chinese soldier as soon as possible and implement the consensus reached by the two sides in the 7th round of Senior Commanders meeting, so as to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Zhang said.

By K J M Varma