India issues a strong protest after a woman from Arunachal Pradesh is detained for 18 hours in Shanghai, as China questions her passport and repeats its territorial claim.
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| 'Arunachal Is an Integral Part of India, and China Cannot Change This Reality': MEA Delivers Strong Message to Beijing | Image: X |
New Delhi: India issued a sharp diplomatic statement to China on Tuesday after a woman from Arunachal Pradesh was stopped during transit at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport and held there for more than 18 hours. What began as a regular layover for Prema Wang Thongdok escalated into a significant international issue after Chinese officials questioned the authenticity of her Indian passport because it named Arunachal Pradesh as her place of birth.
Prema, who is originally from Rupa in West Kameng district and presently lives in the UK, was flying from London to Japan on November 21. Later, she wrote the following about her experience on X: "I was held at Shanghai airport for over 18 hrs on 21st Nov, 2025... They called my Indian passport invalid as my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh which they claimed is Chinese territory."
The passenger's treatment and Beijing's political defense were both harshly criticized by the Ministry of External Affairs.
‘Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India’
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made India’s position clear, saying, We have seen statements made by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the arbitrary detention of an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh, who was holding a valid passport and was transiting through Shanghai International Airport on her onward travel to Japan.
Our response to media queries on statements made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry⬇️
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) November 25, 2025
🔗 https://t.co/3JUnXjIBLc pic.twitter.com/DjEdy7TmTK
Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact. No amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change this indisputable reality.
The issue of the detention has been taken up strongly with the Chinese side. Chinese authorities have still not been able to explain their actions, which are in violation of several conventions governing international air travel. The actions by the Chinese authorities also violate their own regulations that allow visa free transit up to 24 hours for nationals of all countries.
He affirmed that both Beijing and New Delhi have received formal protests from India on the event. The MEA claimed that Chinese immigration officers had no good reason to treat a passenger who was traveling lawfully as though her documents were suspicious.
Jaiswal further noted that China's conduct went against accepted international aviation norms. He claimed that Chinese officials were violating the Chicago and Montreal Conventions and even disregarding China's own policy that permits visitors of all nationalities to pass through the country for up to 24 hours without a visa.
I am deeply shocked by the unacceptable treatment of Ms. Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a proud Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh, by Chinese immigration authorities at Shanghai Pudong Airport. Subjecting her despite a valid Indian passport to humiliation and racial mockery is… https://t.co/4Q5KBHxMrp
— Pema Khandu པདྨ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་། (@PemaKhanduBJP) November 25, 2025
Pema Khandu, the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, expressed his "deep shock" at the treatment of Thongdok, calling it an insult to the dignity of Indian nationals and a breach of international standards.
What took place at the airport in Shanghai?
According to Thongdok, she was singled out and removed during the security check. Officials informed her that her Indian passport was "not valid" since Arunachal Pradesh is a part of China, citing the birthplace entry on her passport.
She claimed, "They insisted that my passport is not valid." One of them even suggested that since I am Chinese, I should obtain a Chinese passport. They were making fun of me.
She claimed that despite having a valid visa, officials refused to let her board her trip to Japan, kept her passport, and forced her to wait eighteen hours without food or access to trustworthy information. She stated, "They insisted that I either fly to India or back to the UK."
Eventually, according to Thongdok, she was able to get in touch with the Indian Consulate in Shanghai. "Within an hour, six officials showed up and brought me food," she remarked. They attempted to convince officials to grant her permission to continue her journey to Japan, but their request was turned down.
She claimed that she was informed that China Eastern Airlines was the only airline that could take her out. She is currently staying in Thailand and working remotely after booking a flight to India with a stopover in Thailand.
In an email to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Thongdok described the passport's "invalid" designation as a "direct challenge to India's sovereignty." A "geopolitical matter was misdirected at a private Indian citizen," she claimed, characterizing the event as “harassment.”
She has requested that the Indian government pursue compensation for "harassment, distress, and financial losses" and take up the issue "strongly" with China.
China’s Explanation and Fresh Provocation
China refuted on Tuesday that immigration personnel harassed an Indian woman, Prema Wangjom Thongdok, from Arunachal Pradesh at Shanghai International Airport. Beijing claimed that its authorities strictly adhered to Chinese laws and regulations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denied the accusations in response to inquiries regarding the incident. According to her, Thongdok was not harassed, detained, or subjected to any coercive tactics. She claimed that border inspectors "fully protected the lawful rights and interests of the person concerned" and adhered to the law. According to Mao, the airline also provided the passenger with food, water, and a place to rest.
Additionally, the spokeswoman reiterated China's long-standing claim to Arunachal Pradesh, referring to it as "Zangnan" and maintaining that "China never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh."
On the day of the incident, however, India made a forceful diplomatic protest to China in both Beijing and New Delhi. Arunachal Pradesh is an "indisputable" part of India, and its citizens are completely authorized to possess and travel with Indian passports, according to Indian officials. Additionally, Thongdok received assistance and intervention from the Indian Consulate in Shanghai, which ultimately let her board a late-night aircraft out of the city.
