After 2 o'clock, August 21, Wang Shengli, a Chinese hostage escaped from the jaws of Muslim kidnappers, entered the Chinese embassy in the Philippines in a black Red Flag car, accompanied by Ambassador Wang Chungui and military attache Zhang Yuhe. He was warmly hailed back by his compatriots and counselor Tong Xiaoling at the embassy on his return from the tigers' lair.
Return to the embassy means to be home. In the rest hall, Wang was given a physical checkup by the Philippine side, he is in fairly good physical and mental conditions except pains of a sprained ankle. After a week's horrifying experience Wang felt relieved finally and wolfed down the lunch prepared for him by the embassy since there was no lunch on the plane.
Wang Shengli, Zhang Zhongyi and Xue Xing, accompanied by a local Chinese surnamed Lin, went August 12 to save Zhang Zhongqiang who was kidnapped earlier. But they were held by kidnappers who have no credit at all and then were forced to move in every two or three days. On their way they were hushed into obedience by pistols. But at other times they were given food with nobody beat them.
In the first two days after being taken hostage they were extremely depressed, and Wang's legs shook when thinking of his nine-year-old daughter. A few days later they soon learned to face the reality.
On the morning of August 18, both kidnappers and Chinese hostages were startled by a sudden shoot-out. Governmental troops, after receiving secret reports, rushed there to save Chinese hostages, and fire exchanged between military troops and kidnappers.
Once agreed earlier to escape together in one direction, Chinese hostages were naturally frightened and run in all directions. Wang ran towards a forest on a hill while Zhang and Xue headed down toward a cluster of rubber trees. Once a soldier, Wang was quite experienced. He escaped whizzing bullets by leaping into a pit roadside after running a distance. On his way he sprained his ankle but finally got saved by governmental troops.
Zhang Zhongqiang was kidnapped on June 20 in southern Philippines. After running a long distance with Xue he was unfortunately gunned down. Familiar with local topographic conditions kidnappers took Zhang's younger brother Zhang Zhongyi and Lin as shield and escaped while returning fire. Now Zhang Zhongyi is missing, feared being together with kidnappers, who have demanded negotiations with Zhang's family and asked governmental troops to ease military pressure against them.
Wearing a T-shirt, Wang Shengli looks quite emaciated with a tanned face. When shaking hands with Wang the reporter asked, "How is your age?"
“Thirty three".
“Where is your hometown?"
“Zhejiang".
“What do you mostly want to do now?"
Saddened at his companion's death, Wang answered frankly to "return to China to see my daughter, and take her on a sightseeing tour to Hangzhou."
( 08/24/2001)
