India slams China over ‘arbitrary detention’ of Arunachal passenger in transit

India on Tuesday said a traveler from Arunachal Pradesh was stopped at Shanghai airport last week in what it described as an “arbitrary detention,” renewing its assertion that the state is unequivocally part of India.

The woman, a UK-based Indian national from Arunachal Pradesh, was travelling on a valid Indian passport and was in transit through Shanghai Pudong International Airport on her way to Japan when Chinese immigration officials prevented her from boarding her connecting flight.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said New Delhi had taken up the matter “strongly” with Beijing and that China had not yet provided a satisfactory explanation.

Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the treatment of the passenger breached “several conventions governing international air travel” and violated China’s own rules, which allow visa-free airside transit of up to 24 hours for foreign nationals.

“Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact,” Jaiswal said. “No amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change this indisputable reality.”

Indian media identified the traveler as Pema Wangjom Thongdok, who was reportedly held for more than 18 hours on 21 November after immigration officers said her passport was “invalid” because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.

She was allegedly told she was “Chinese” and that her Indian documentation could not be accepted. She was allowed to continue her journey only after repeated intervention from the Indian consulate in Shanghai.

Meanwhile, China has rejected India’s account. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said border checks at Pudong airport were conducted “in accordance with laws and regulations” and said the passenger had not been subjected to any compulsory measures.

She said food, water and rest were provided by the airline and repeated Beijing’s longstanding position that it does not recognize what it calls the “so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India.”

The incident has sparked strong reactions in India, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, where chief minister Pema Khandu called the treatment “unacceptable” and “appalling,” saying it amounted to challenging the dignity of an Indian citizen carrying valid documents.

Opposition parties have also urged the government to respond firmly, warning that rejecting Indian passports issued in Arunachal Pradesh strikes at the country’s sovereignty.

The episode comes amid a period of heightened sensitivity around the border state. China has previously issued stapled visas to Arunachal Pradesh residents, unveiled Chinese names for towns and geographical features inside the state, and repeatedly referred to the region as “South Tibet.” India has dismissed those claims as unfounded and says the state’s status is non-negotiable.

Ties between the two countries have remained strained since the deadly clash in Ladakh in 2020, despite multiple rounds of talks aimed at restoring stability.

Issues involving maps, visas and the treatment of citizens have repeatedly complicated that effort, even as both sides try to rebuild some basic channels of contact.

Those efforts include a cautious reopening of air links. Direct commercial flights between India and China resumed only recently after a five-year suspension, beginning with IndiGo restarting services on the Delhi-Guangzhou and Kolkata-Guangzhou routes in late October and early November.

Air India has also announced plans to relaunch its non-stop Delhi-Shanghai service from 1 February, with a Mumbai-Shanghai route expected to follow.

Several Chinese airlines have applied to operate new routes to Indian cities, suggesting that air connectivity may expand further, though the latest incident underlines how political frictions continue to overshadow tentative steps toward normalization.