China on Tuesday rejected allegations that an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was harassed or detained at Shanghai airport, even as India lodged a strong demarche and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu criticised Beijing over the episode.
Responding to reports that UK-based Indian citizen Pema Wangjom Thongdok was held for hours during a transit halt on November 21, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said border inspection officials acted “according to the laws and regulations”.
“We learnt that China's border inspection authorities have gone through the whole process according to the laws and regulations and fully protected the lawful rights and interests of the person concerned,” Mao said, adding that the woman “was not subjected to any compulsory measures, detainment or harassment as alleged by her.”
Ning said the airline had also provided her “a place to rest, drink and food”.
Reiterating Beijing’s territorial claims, Mao stated, “Zangnan is China's territory. China never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally set up by India.”
The statement came a day after India issued a diplomatic protest in Beijing and in Delhi, conveying that Arunachal Pradesh is “indisputably” Indian territory and that its residents are entitled to hold and travel with Indian passports.
“It was stressed that the passenger had been detained on ludicrous grounds. Arunachal Pradesh is indisputably Indian territory, and its residents are perfectly entitled to hold and travel with Indian passports,” a source said to PTI, adding that the actions were “in contravention of the Chicago and Montreal Conventions”.
The Indian Consulate in Shanghai took up the matter and extended “the fullest assistance” to the stranded passenger.
Officials helped Thongdok board a late-night flight out of the city.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu condemned the conduct of Chinese authorities, saying he was “deeply shocked” by the incident.
Calling it a “violation of international norms and an affront to the dignity of Indian citizens,” he asserted, “Arunachal Pradesh is and will always be an integral part of India. Any insinuation otherwise is baseless and offensive.”
He added, “Subjecting her, despite a valid Indian passport, to such treatment is appalling.”
Thongdok, who hails from Rupa in West Kameng district and lives in the UK, had earlier said her scheduled three-hour layover at Shanghai Pudong Airport turned into a traumatic experience after immigration personnel declared her passport “invalid” because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.
“I was held at Shanghai airport for over 18 hours on 21st November 2025 by China immigration and China Eastern Airlines. They called my Indian passport invalid because my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh, which they claimed is Chinese territory,” she wrote on X.
She said she was confined to the transit area “without clear explanations, proper food or basic facilities”, alleging that her passport was confiscated and she was stopped from boarding her flight to Japan despite a valid visa.
Her mother, Sang Chhom Thongdok, called it a “harrowing ordeal” but said her daughter was “very smart and strong” and managed to reach out to Indian officials with help from friends.
She said Pema has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister Kiren Rijiju and Khandu about her experience.
Thongdok has sought strong action from the Indian government, calling the episode a “direct insult to India’s sovereignty and the people of Arunachal Pradesh”.
The incident comes amid China’s frequent attempts to assert its claim over Arunachal Pradesh, which it refers to as ‘South Tibet’. India has rejected these claims. Beijing’s actions — from issuing stapled visas to renaming villages and publishing maps that depict Indian territory as its own — have drawn sharp objections from New Delhi.
Officials in Itanagar say Thongdok’s experience has renewed concerns that China may be extending its long-criticised stapled-visa policy to international transit points, affecting Arunachal residents even during airport layovers.
The Congress on Tuesday slammed the Centre over this incident. "Arunachal Pradesh is and always will be an integral part of India" the party wrote on X sharing Thongdok's video.
In another post on X, the Congress said the incident exposed yet again how China “is not desisting from its nefarious activities”, urging the Modi government to take a firm stand.