India Slams China’s Claims on Arunachal Pradesh

In one of its most assertive diplomatic reactions in recent years, India issued a strong statement against China on Tuesday after an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was harassed, blocked from normal transit procedures, and detained for more than 18 hours at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport.
The incident quickly escalated into a geopolitical flashpoint, aggravated further by a provocative Chinese Foreign Ministry comment questioning India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi issued an official and unequivocal rejection of Beijing’s claims. Condemning both the mistreatment of the Indian citizen and China’s renewed attempts to dispute territorial boundaries, the MEA said the episode represented a clear breach of global aviation norms and China’s own immigration standards.
This firm diplomatic reaction forms the core of what is now being discussed globally as the “India Strong Statement Against China”.

“Arunachal Pradesh Is an Integral and Inalienable Part of India”

Responding to media questions, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated New Delhi’s unwavering stance:
“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.”

Jaiswal confirmed that India had immediately issued a strong protest in both Beijing and New Delhi, while also pointing out that Chinese authorities failed to justify why a passenger with a valid Indian passport was blocked from normal transit entry.

A Violation of International Aviation Norms

The MEA accused China of undermining internationally accepted protocols governing air travel.
According to the spokesperson, China’s actions appeared to violate the Chicago and Montreal Conventions, which set global standards for civil aviation and smooth transit procedures.

India also noted that the incident contradicted China’s own policy, which typically allows visa-free transit for up to 24 hours to citizens from all countries.
In this case, however, the decision to detain the passenger appeared to stem from her birthplace—Arunachal Pradesh—which Chinese officials falsely claimed belonged to China.

The decision led to her Indian passport being labelled “invalid,” despite it being internationally recognised and verified for travel.

India: The Ordeal – 18 Hours of Uncertainty Over a Birthplace

The passenger, Prema Wang Thongdok, originally from Rupa in West Kameng and now residing in the UK, was travelling from London to Japan on November 21. With only a three-hour layover scheduled in Shanghai, she expected a routine transit.

Instead, she faced hours of questioning, contradictory instructions, and repeated challenges to her travel documents.

Thongdok later wrote on X:
“I was held at Shanghai airport for over 18 hrs… They called my Indian passport invalid as my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh, which they claimed is Chinese territory.”

Her account revealed that the objections raised by airport authorities were politically motivated, rather than based on any legitimate immigration concern.

China Denies Harassment, Reasserts Territorial Claim

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed accusations of harassment. She insisted that officials acted “as per regulations” and claimed the passenger had been given food, water, and a place to rest.

But what fueled further outrage was Mao’s statement calling the region “Zangnan,” repeating Beijing’s argument that Arunachal Pradesh is “Chinese territory.”

India swiftly condemned this rhetoric, calling it an attempt to distort facts and politicise an ordinary travel procedure.

New Delhi’s Immediate Diplomatic Response

Government sources revealed that India issued a strong demarche on the same day, both in Beijing and New Delhi.
The Indian Consulate in Shanghai also stepped in quickly to support the stranded citizen.

Officials noted that the detention was based on “ludicrous grounds”, particularly at a time when both countries were attempting to stabilise relations after years of border tensions.

“Such actions only complicate the process of rebuilding trust,” said an official source familiar with the matter.