- India, say sources, has lodged a strong demarche with China over the detention of an Indian woman in Shanghai
- The woman was held for over 18 hours as the Chinese officials refused to accept her Indian passport
- Government sources warned that the incident threatens the ongoing efforts to normalise bilateral relations
India has lodged a strong demarche with China in Beijing and New Delhi on a day an Indian woman passenger from Arunachal Pradesh was detained while transiting in China. A major diplomatic row has erupted after the woman was detained, questioned, and allegedly harassed for more than 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
Chinese immigration officials had reportedly refused to accept her Indian passport, claiming her birthplace-Arunachal Pradesh -- was "Chinese territory".
The incident has triggered a strong and immediate protest from New Delhi, with India calling the detention "ludicrous" and "unacceptable."
The passenger, Pem Wang Thongdok, was travelling from London to Japan on November 21. Her flight had a scheduled three-hour layover in Shanghai.
She found herself trapped in an extended immigration ordeal during which officials allegedly invalidated her documents solely because she was born in Arunachal Pradesh.
Thongdok took to X to publicly describe her experience. In her post, she wrote: "I was held at Shanghai airport for over 18 hrs on 21st Nov, 2025 on claims by China immigration & @chinaeasternair. They called my Indian passport invalid as my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh which they claimed is Chinese territory."
Her post, which quickly went viral, drew widespread outrage, tagging Indian authorities and media outlets for immediate attention.
India Responds with Strong Diplomatic Action
New Delhi moved swiftly as soon as the incident was reported. Government sources told NDTV that India has delivered a strong and coordinated diplomatic response.
Strong Demarche in Beijing and Delhi
Officials confirmed that India lodged a strong demarche with the Chinese government in both Beijing and New Delhi the same day.
The Indian Consulate in Shanghai simultaneously intervened, taking up the matter directly with local authorities and extending "fullest assistance" to the stranded passenger.
India Calls China's Grounds 'Ludicrous'
The Indian side made it clear that detaining a traveller on such reasoning was "ludicrous", maintaining that Arunachal Pradesh is indisputably Indian territory and all its residents are fully entitled to carry and travel with Indian passports.
New Delhi emphasized that China's refusal to acknowledge this was both baseless and provocative.
Violation of International Aviation Conventions Highlighted
India further underscored that China's actions were in direct contravention of the Chicago and Montreal Conventions, which govern global civil aviation standards including treatment of transit passengers.
Officials stressed that denying a valid Indian passport during a layover was a breach of longstanding international norms.
Concern Over Disruption of Normalisation Efforts
The Indian government also conveyed its concern that such incidents create "unnecessary obstructions" at a time when both nations are engaged in delicate steps to restore normalcy in bilateral ties. The message was clear: Beijing's behaviour threatens to derail confidence-building progress.
China claims almost the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of "South Tibet," a claim India has consistently rejected. This long-running territorial dispute often surfaces in the form of discriminatory travel policies, such as stapled visas or refusal to recognise Indian documents issued in the region.
However, Thongdok's case is particularly alarming because she was not seeking to enter China, but merely transiting through Shanghai, making the prolonged detention and questioning even more concerning from a diplomatic standpoint.
She eventually reached the Indian Consulate after hours of interrogation and uncertainty.
