India Rejects China’s Arunachal Claim After Airport Detention
India has issued a strong diplomatic rebuke to China following the detention of an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh at Shanghai airport, firmly rejecting Beijing’s territorial claims over the northeastern state.
Key Developments
- Indian woman detained for 18 hours at Shanghai airport over Arunachal birthplace
- MEA calls Arunachal Pradesh “integral and inalienable part of India”
- China repeats territorial claim, calls Arunachal “Zangnan”
- India issues strong demarche, calls detention “violation of international conventions”
Diplomatic Standoff Escalates
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated: “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.”
Jaiswal emphasized: “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 Detention Incident
Prema Wang Thongdok, a UK resident originally from Rupa in West Kameng district, was traveling from London to Japan on November 21 with a scheduled three-hour layover in Shanghai. Her transit turned into an 18-hour ordeal.
Thongdok described 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.”
Despite carrying valid travel documents, she was denied free passage and faced repeated challenges to her documentation on political grounds.
China’s Response
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denied any wrongdoing, stating the passenger “was not subjected to any compulsory measures, detainment or harassment.”
Mao claimed airport officials acted “according to laws and regulations” and that the airline provided “food, water, and a place to rest.”
However, she escalated tensions by reiterating: “Zangnan is China’s territory. China never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally set up by India.”
India’s Diplomatic Action
India issued a strong demarche in both capitals on the incident day, with the Indian Consulate in Shanghai intervening to assist the stranded passenger.
Officials described the detention as based on “ludicrous grounds” and said it undermined bilateral stabilization efforts.
Jaiswal noted Chinese authorities violated “several conventions governing international air travel” and their own regulations allowing visa-free transit up to 24 hours.
