India Protests Airport Incident as China Denies Insult, Reiterates Claim Over Arunachal
India Protests Strongly After Arunachal Woman Detained; Says China Cannot Deny Reality: India on Tuesday issued a sharp rebuttal to China’s remarks regarding the detention of an Indian citizen at Shanghai International Airport, reaffirming that Arunachal Pradesh is an “integral and inalienable part” of India. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stressed that “no amount of denial” from China can alter this fact.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India has taken serious note of the incident involving an Arunachal Pradesh resident, Prema Wangjom Thongdok, who was arbitrarily detained while transiting through Shanghai en route to Japan. He confirmed that the Indian national held a valid passport and all necessary travel documents.
“The arbitrary detention of the Indian national in question is not only a violation of international air travel regulations but also China’s own 24-hour visa-free transit rules,” Jaiswal said. India has lodged a strong protest (démarche) with China and demanded an explanation for the detention, which the Chinese side has yet to provide.
The incident gained attention after Thongdok shared on social media that Chinese authorities claimed her passport was “invalid,” asserting that Arunachal Pradesh is “Chinese territory,” and therefore her Indian passport could not be recognized.
China, however, denied harassing the passenger. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning insisted that immigration officials acted “in accordance with the law” and that the traveler faced no discrimination. She reiterated Beijing’s long-standing stance that Arunachal Pradesh is “Zangnan,” part of South Tibet under Chinese jurisdiction.
Amid the incident, China’s Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, acknowledged the complexity of the China-India border dispute, urging continued dialogue through diplomatic and military channels. He said the border issue constitutes only a small fraction of the overall bilateral relationship and emphasized that peace and stability largely prevail along the frontier.
In recent months, both nations have continued efforts to manage tensions. The 24th meeting of the Special Representatives’ Dialogue concluded in August with agreement on 10 points, while the 23rd round of Corps Commander-level talks focused on control and management in the Western Sector.
The latest detention episode, however, risks raising fresh concerns at a sensitive time in India-China relations.
