China on Tuesday dismissed allegations made by an Indian woman who said she was stopped and mistreated by immigration officials during a layover at Shanghai Pudong Airport, stating that authorities acted strictly in line with Chinese laws and regulations.
Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian financial advisor originally from Rupa in Arunachal Pradesh, was travelling from London to Japan on November 21 when her three-hour transit reportedly turned into an 18-hour ordeal. According to her account, immigration officials singled her out after noticing that her passport listed Arunachal Pradesh as her place of birth, allegedly telling her the state “is part of China” and that her Indian passport was therefore “not valid.”
Thongdok, who had travelled through the same airport without incident in October, said officials kept her passport, stopped her from boarding her onward flight despite a valid visa, and offered little information or assistance. She also claimed that some officials mocked her, with one suggesting she should obtain a Chinese passport.
As per her accounts, Thongdok contacted the Indian Consulate in Shanghai with the help of a friend in the UK. Consular officials intervened, and she was able to board a late-night flight out of China.
Following the incident, she wrote to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), describing the experience as a “direct challenge to India’s sovereignty” and urging the government to take up the matter strongly with Beijing. She also sought compensation for the “harassment, distress, and suffering” she faced.
MEA sources said India has lodged a strong protest with China, calling the reasons for stopping the passenger “ludicrous” and pointing out that the incident contravenes international civil aviation conventions, including the Chicago and Montreal Conventions. They reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is “indisputably Indian territory,” and its residents are fully entitled to hold Indian passports.
Thongdok said she has retained her Indian citizenship despite living in the UK for 14 years.
China’s Response
Commenting on the matter, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Zangnan (China’s term for Arunachal Pradesh) is Chinese territory, and Beijing has “never recognized the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ set up by India.” She maintained that border inspection authorities followed correct procedures, asserting that the woman’s “lawful rights and interests were fully protected” and that there was “no detaining or harassing.” According to Mao, the airline provided accommodation and meals during the wait.
India’s Response
Reacting to China’s statement, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed that Arunachal Pradesh is an “integral and inalienable part of India” and said China’s repeated denials “will not change this indisputable reality.”
He added that Chinese authorities have yet to justify their actions, which violate international air travel conventions and China’s own rules that allow up to 24-hour visa-free transit for all nationalities. (Source: China & India Foreign ministry official website and news syndicate)
