A boy who had run away from home 10 times in a year had caused his family great distress, his father said.

The boy's latest adventure was wandering the streets of Xixiang Sub-district in Bao'an, and running after cars on a main road, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported Tuesday.

His father said his son, Mingming, (not his real name) 9, was a quiet boy.

Early this month, a man surnamed Wan called police after seeing Mingming roaming about in Xixiang. Wan bought two pieces of bread for him, and the boy told him his parents were running a business, and he had been taken to Xixiang by some older students. Wan then took the boy to the police.

When asked by police whether he wanted to go home, Mingming said he would rather go to Hong Kong, the United States or Canada. He refused to give the address of his family, and gave several telephone numbers that could not be reached.

Police said it was the second time Mingming had been taken to Xixiang Police Station. He was then taken to an aid center in Baoan, where aid workers got in touch with his uncle by telephone with a number the boy gave. Mingming's uncle came from neighboring Dongguan City to take him home, saying the boy had been missing for a week. The boy said nothing when he saw his uncle.

Mingming's father later told the newspaper that he was a businessman in Fenggang Township, Dongguan. The boy, a primary school pupil, had frequently run way from for a year without rhyme or reason, he said. He went missing in March last year and was not found until September.

The father said he was busy with his business and had the boy live with his uncle. He could not see anything wrong with Mingming, who was quite smart.

A psychologist said attention should be paid to a juvenile's sensitive and impulsive emotions as well as surrounding influences. Doctors said the boy needed psychological and medical treatment. Teachers and parents should think about the method of education as the boy might be suffering from attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity or autism, they said.

(Shenzhen Daily January 19, 2005)