China: Parents of abducted child reunited with their son after 24 years

'We found you, you've come back'

The parents of a missing child have been reunited with their son 24 years after he was abducted.

Guo Xinzhen was just two years old when he was taken from outside his home in eastern China in 1997.

For two decades, his father Guo Gangtang searched all over China for his son - travelling around the country on his motorbike adorned with images of his missing child.

He travelled more than 311,000 miles (500,000 kilometres) over 24 years, visiting more than 20 Chinese provinces and regions, spending all his savings and reportedly burning through 10 motorcycles.

His quest inspired a 2015 film 'Lost and Love', and Guo Gangtang created an entire organisation to help parents facing similar tragedies.

Finally, on Sunday, the family were reunited after police successfully identified Guo Xinzhen though DNA testing.

Guo Gangtang's quest to find his son took him to more than 20 Chinese provinces

Advances in technology helped authorities find the missing son, two decades after he was taken.

The police identified Guo Xinzhen in central China's Henan province - a five hour drive away from where he was taken.

Two people have been arrested on suspicion of his abduction.

China's Ministry of Public Security launched an initiative in January to search for abducted children and has found more than 2,600 of them so far, state television CCTV said.

The issue has been rampant in China for decades, with many families losing loved ones forever.

Activists and experts say the problem was exacerbated by China's one-child policy, which has been relaxed in recent years.

In May, the government announced it would begin allowing couples to have up to three children.

But a strict one-child policy for years and the country's preference for sons drove a black market for trafficking young boys.