India confronts China over airport ordeal: MEA says Arunachal not up for debate

India has issued a firm and public rebuke to China after an Arunachal Pradesh woman was stopped and subjected to an 18-hour ordeal at Shanghai’s Pudong airport, calling Beijing’s conduct unacceptable and reiterating that Arunachal Pradesh remains an “integral and inalienable” part of India.

During the weekly media briefing on Wednesday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made it clear that China’s repeated attempts to question India’s territorial sovereignty will not alter the truth. “No amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change this indisputable reality,” he said. The MEA confirmed that New Delhi lodged strong protests in both Beijing and New Delhi immediately after the incident. The Indian passenger-Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a valid passport holder from Arunachal Pradesh-was reportedly detained despite being eligible for visa-free transit under Chinese regulations.

“We issued a statement yesterday regarding the arbitrary detention of an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh who was transiting through Shanghai on her onward journey to Japan,” Jaiswal noted. “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. This fact is self-evident.” He emphasised that actions such as these undermine the fragile progress made in stabilising India-China ties since 2024.

“Arbitrary measures involving an Indian citizen are most unhelpful towards the ongoing efforts by both sides to build mutual trust and restore normalcy,” Jaiswal said. According to the MEA, the Chinese authorities have yet to provide any convincing explanation for the woman’s treatment, which India argues violates international travel norms as well as China’s own rules allowing 24-hour visa-free transit for foreign nationals.

The passenger had earlier described a humiliating experience in which Chinese immigration personnel questioned her Indian nationality and mocked her documents. Her ordeal ended only after sustained intervention from the Indian missions in Shanghai and Beijing. Beijing, for its part, has rejected all allegations. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denied that the woman was ever “detained” or “harassed,” insisting that her “lawful rights and interests were fully protected.”

India has categorically dismissed that claim, saying the facts of the case speak for themselves. By taking a public and firm position, New Delhi has signaled that any targeting of Indian citizens-especially from Arunachal Pradesh-will trigger a strong diplomatic response, even as both countries attempt to steady their strained relationship. Indian passenger Prema was reportedly detained despite being eligible for visa-free transit under Chinese regulations