- By Supratik Das
- Tue, 25 Nov 2025 04:07 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
China on Tuesday rejected allegations that an Arunachal Pradesh–born Indian woman was harassed and detained for hours at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, insisting that its immigration officers acted strictly “according to laws and regulations.”
The incident has triggered a sharp diplomatic exchange, with India lodging a strong protest and reaffirming that Arunachal Pradesh is an “integral and inalienable” part of India.
China Refutes Allegations, Reasserts Claim Over Arunachal
Responding to media queries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denied any misconduct and said the woman “was not subjected to any compulsory measures, detainment or harassment.”
Mao maintained that China’s border inspection authorities “fully protected her lawful rights and interests,” and reiterated Beijing’s position that Arunachal Pradesh, referred to as Zangnan by China is part of its territory.
India Protests After 18-Hour Detention
The passenger, Prema Wangjom Thongdok, an Indian citizen based in the United Kingdom, was travelling from London to Japan on November 21 when Chinese immigration officials allegedly declared her passport “invalid” because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace. Her scheduled three-hour layover stretched into an 18-hour ordeal, during which she says she was mocked, isolated, and denied clarity about her situation.
Indian officials in Delhi confirmed that a strong demarche was issued to Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi the same day. The Indian Consulate in Shanghai also intervened locally, assisted the stranded passenger, and ensured she boarded a late-night flight out of China.
India firmly countered the narrative, stating that residents of Arunachal Pradesh are fully entitled to hold and travel with Indian passports. Officials also reminded Beijing that obstructing a valid international transit passenger violates the Chicago and Montreal Conventions governing civil aviation.
Passenger Alleges Humiliation, Mockery Over Birthplace
Prema Thongdok, who hails from West Kameng district and works in London, recounted that immigration officers repeatedly insisted, “Arunachal not India. China-China,” before confiscating her passport. She alleged that both Chinese officials and airline staff pointed at her passport and laughed, pressuring her to “apply for a Chinese passport.”
She was unable to contact her family for hours. “It was humiliating. They mocked my birthplace. They did not clarify why my visa was suddenly unacceptable,” she told ANI. She also claimed she was prevented from boarding her Japan-bound flight despite holding a valid visa, and was pressured to buy a fresh ticket.
She eventually managed to reach out to Indian officials through a friend in the UK. Within an hour, representatives from the Indian Consulate arrived, provided her food, and intervened with airport authorities. She was finally allowed to leave after nearly 18 hours.
Thongdok has urged the Government of India to ensure that travellers from the Northeast are not subjected to such treatment due to political disputes. “We are Indian. We speak perfect Hindi. We do not understand Chinese,” she said.
With inputs from agency.