India Issues Travel Advisory to Citizens Travelling to China

In a sharp diplomatic move on Monday, New Delhi issued an India Advisory to Citizens Travelling to China, urging caution in the wake of an alarming incident involving an Indian national from Arunachal Pradesh who was detained and allegedly mistreated at Shanghai airport. The advisory came amid rising concerns that the episode reflects deeper tensions at a time when both countries are attempting to rebuild strained ties.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that India has sought firm reassurances from Beijing that Indian passengers transiting through Chinese airports will not face harassment, arbitrary detention or discriminatory treatment.

India: A Diplomatic Protest Following the Shanghai Detention

The incident that triggered the advisory occurred on November 21, when Pema Wangjom Thongdok, an Arunachal Pradesh native living in the UK, was stopped at Shanghai Pudong International Airport during a layover en route to Japan. According to Thongdok, immigration officials refused to recognise her Indian passport, mocked her nationality, and pressured her to apply for a Chinese passport.

What was meant to be a three-hour stopover stretched into a harrowing 18-hour ordeal that ended only after Indian diplomats intervened.

New Delhi registered a strong protest with Chinese authorities both in Beijing and New Delhi, describing the detention as “unacceptable” and “premised on ludicrous grounds,” officials familiar with the matter said.

India Seeks Assurances: ‘No Selective Targeting’

During a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed deep concern over the incident and urged Indian citizens to remain cautious.

“We would advise Indian nationals to exercise due discretion while travelling to China or transiting through the country,” Jaiswal said, emphasising the need for Beijing to guarantee that international travel norms will be honoured.

He added a clear expectation: Chinese authorities must assure India that its citizens “will not be selectively targeted, arbitrarily detained, or harassed” when passing through Chinese airports.

According to officials, the Indian side also underscored that China’s actions violated both the Chicago Convention and the Montreal Convention, which govern global civil aviation standards.

Incident Clouds Efforts to Normalise India–China Relations

The timing of the Shanghai episode is particularly sensitive. Direct flights between India and China had only recently resumed after nearly five years, marking a symbolic step toward normalising bilateral ties following the prolonged standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Both countries reached an understanding to ease the border deadlock in October 2024, followed by a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping where they agreed to reactivate dialogue mechanisms aimed at stabilising relations.

Yet, officials now fear that such incidents create “avoidable obstacles” to the slow and delicate thaw.

Beijing’s Pattern on Arunachal Pradesh Continues

For years, China has attempted to reinforce its claims over Arunachal Pradesh—territory India has consistently and unequivocally declared as an “integral and inalienable” part of the country. These attempts have taken various forms:

• Issuing stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh

• Publishing maps that misrepresent the Indian state as Chinese territory

• Renaming towns and geographical features under the label “South Tibet”