Delhi: India on Tuesday lodged a strong protest with Beijing after a woman from Arunachal Pradesh—an Indian citizen currently residing in the United Kingdom—was allegedly detained for nearly 18 hours by Chinese immigration authorities during transit at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the incident raises serious concerns, questioning why China has not offered any explanation for what it described as a violation of international air travel norms. According to MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, China’s repeated refusal to recognise Arunachal Pradesh as part of India does not change the facts on the ground.
“Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India, and China’s denial will not change reality,” Jaiswal said while responding to media queries. The ministry noted that China’s actions violated international conventions and even its own regulations that allow visa-free transit of up to 24 hours for foreign nationals.
The woman, identified as Prema Wangjom Thongdok, alleged that Chinese officials declared her Indian passport “invalid” because it mentioned Arunachal Pradesh as her place of birth—something Beijing claims as part of “Zangnan”, China’s territory. Thongdok said she was travelling from London to Japan on November 21 when she was held despite having transited through the same airport without incident just days earlier.
While India has demanded clarity, China rejected allegations of harassment. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning insisted that immigration checks were carried out strictly “in accordance with laws and regulations”.
“Law enforcement was impartial and non-abusive… no compulsory measures were taken on her, and there was no so-called ‘detaining’ or ‘harassing’,” Mao said, adding that the airline provided food and resting facilities.
Reiterating China’s long-standing position on Arunachal Pradesh, Mao stated, “Zangnan is China’s territory. The Chinese side has never recognised the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ illegally set up by India.”
