‘Arunachal in China’: How ‘harassment’ of Indian-origin woman at Shanghai airport has angered India

A three-hour layover at Shanghai Pudong International Airport turned into an 18-hour nightmare for Pem Wang Thongdok. The reason? She originally hails from Arunachal Pradesh.

Thongdok, an Indian-origin woman who lives in Britain, faced harassment by Chinese immigration officials at the airport after they refused to accept her Indian passport, which mentions Arunachal Pradesh as her place of birth.

According to India Today reports, Thongdok said she was ‘detained for 18 hours on November 21 and her passport was ‘declared invalid’ by officials. One of the officials at the airport even told her, ‘Arunachal Pradesh is part of China.'

The row has now snowballed into a bigger row with India issuing a demarche as well as the Indian consulate in Shanghai taking up the matter.

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Let’s take a closer look at what exactly happened.

Passport confiscated, blocked and mocked

The incident occurred when Thongdok was travelling from London to Japan on November 21, with a three-hour transit in Shanghai.

The officers at the immigration counter declared her passport ‘invalid’ as it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her place of birth.

Thongdok, in a post on the social media platform X, wrote: “I was held at Shanghai Airport for over 18 hrs on 21st Nov 2025, on claims by China immigration and China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited. They called my Indian passport invalid, as my birthplace is Arunachal Pradesh, which they claimed is Chinese territory.”

Speaking to India Today, she asserted, “After immigration, I submitted my passport and was waiting at security. Just then, an official came and started screaming ‘India, India’ with my name and singled me out. When I asked, she took me to the immigration desk and said, ‘Arunachal, not a valid passport’.”

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Thongdok told India Today that when she asked why, the official replied: “Arunachal is a part of China. Your passport is invalid.”

Thongdok claimed that immigration officers and China Eastern Airlines staff mocked her, suggesting that she should ‘apply for a Chinese passport’.

She also alleged that she was denied proper food, information and access to airport facilities, turning a short layover into a distressing 18-hour ordeal.

Despite holding a visa, she was prevented from boarding her onward flight to Japan and her passport was withheld.

Thongdok told India Today that she managed to reach the Indian Consulate in Shanghai with the help of a friend in the UK. She said the Indian officials secured her release and helped her board a night flight out of China.

Her mother, Sang Chhom Thongdok, told news agency PTI that she had undergone a “harrowing ordeal”, but she is “very smart and strong” and didn’t buckle under pressure.

“After the issue cropped up, she first reached out to her late father’s friend in Delhi, who helped her get in touch with the Indian embassy authorities in China, and they, in turn, helped her travel out of China. She is currently in Bangkok, Thailand,” said Pem’s mother to PTI.

Thongdok added that her daughter had studied in Delhi University and had then gone to the UK for higher studies. “My daughter has been living in the UK for nearly 10 years, but she is an Indian citizen. She works for a financial firm and travels frequently, but had never faced such an issue at any airport before.”

Thongdok writes to PM Modi

Thongdok has now written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior officials in the government. She highlighted the kind of treatment she faced, calling it ‘a direct insult to India’s sovereignty and to the citizens of Arunachal Pradesh’.

She urged the Indian government to raise this matter with Beijing, seeking a detailed explanation of what happened. She has also sought accountability and disciplinary action against the immigration and airline staff involved, and pushed for compensation, the report noted.

India issues strong response to China

Following the incident, India has lodged a strong diplomatic protest with China. A strong demarche was issued to Beijing simultaneously in the Chinese capital and in Delhi, on the very day of the incident, while the Indian Consulate in Shanghai intervened locally and provided assistance to the stranded passenger.

According to sources, India conveyed that “the passenger had been detained on ludicrous grounds”.

The demarche also stated that “Arunachal Pradesh is indisputably Indian territory and its residents are perfectly entitled to hold and travel with Indian passports”.

India has also stated that the Chinese authorities had violated international civil aviation norms, including the Chicago and Montreal Conventions.

Government sources further added that such conduct “introduces unnecessary hurdles” in the broader effort to stabilise bilateral relations.

China’s repeated claims on Arunachal Pradesh, India’s stand

China has time and again disputed India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh. From referring to it as ‘South Tibet’ to ‘renaming’ certain places in Arunachal Pradesh, Beijing continues to harp on its claim.

The Indian government has repeatedly rejected China’s claims as ‘vain and preposterous’. Reacting to the renaming move, New Delhi said, “This will not alter the undeniable reality that the state was, is, and will always remain an integral part of India”.

However, the recently concluded SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin signals a cautious thaw in India–China relations.

With inputs from agencies