Cryptic crossword clue
Hostage initially inside so long getting ready for China 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word CHIAO

C
H
I
A
O

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "ready for China" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case ready for china = chiao.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

Latest crossword clues with full explanations