A Chinese-American businessman who was held in China for nearly five years after he became involved in a dispute with a competitor has been allowed to return to his Southern California home, his wife said Tuesday.
Hong Li said her husband, Hu Zhicheng, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport from China on Monday night.
"We're grateful, we're very, very grateful for everybody's help and we're really happy to have him back home," she said of herself and their two children.
She said that her husband was asleep and still jet lagged and did not want to talk about his ordeal or his return home.
Hu was released just ahead of a summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama , but Li said she did not know if that played any part in her husband's return.
China's government has in the past released prisoners or resolved cases like Hu's to improve relations with the US ahead of major meetings.