India slams China’s ‘arbitrary actions’ after Arunachal woman detained in Shanghai airport

India on Wednesday issued one of its strongest recent public statements against Beijing, calling China’s “arbitrary actions” against an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh “most unhelpful” to the fragile efforts underway to rebuild mutual trust and restore normalcy in bilateral ties. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was responding to the detention and questioning of Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian citizen who was stopped at Shanghai airport last week after immigration authorities declared her Indian passport invalid on the grounds that it mentioned Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.

Prema, who was transiting from London to Japan on November 21, said her three-hour layover spiralled into a distressing experience when Chinese officials insisted Arunachal Pradesh was part of China’s territory—referred to by Beijing as “Zangnan”—and therefore her passport could not be recognised. The MEA confirmed that the passenger was provided consular assistance, and a formal demarche was issued to China both in Beijing and New Delhi on the same day.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing the media during the weekly briefing, criticised Beijing’s behaviour, saying such actions run counter to the progress both sides have been trying to make since the October 2024 understanding aimed at easing tensions along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. “Arbitrary actions by China involving an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh are most unhelpful towards efforts being made by both sides to build mutual trust and understanding,” he remarked.

Reiterating India’s longstanding position, Jaiswal asserted that Arunachal Pradesh is an “integral and inalienable” part of India, and no amount of repetition or renaming by China can change that reality. Beijing has in recent years issued multiple lists of “new names” for towns, rivers and mountains in the state as part of its territorial claim—moves that India has consistently rejected.

China, however, defended its actions. In a statement, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the woman was neither detained nor mistreated and that the border inspection procedures were carried out strictly according to Chinese law. Mao repeated Beijing’s claim that Zangnan is Chinese territory and said China does not acknowledge the “so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally set up by India.”

Despite ongoing diplomatic engagements—including talks under the Special Representatives mechanism, which India says must be anchored in “peace and tranquility” along the border—incidents like these threaten to inject fresh tension into an already strained relationship.

The MEA underlined that India acted promptly, with the consulate in Shanghai extending all possible assistance to the stranded traveller. For New Delhi, the episode is another reminder of China’s assertiveness on territorial claims, even as both sides seek to stabilise ties after years of border friction.