 "The national flags of India (L) and China are seen outside the Meijiang Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on August 31, 2025. AFP File")
China on Tuesday rejected allegations that an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was harassed by immigration officials during a transit halt at Shanghai airport, saying that all procedures were carried out “according to the laws and regulations.”
The traveller, Pema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian citizen en route from London to Japan on November 21, said her scheduled three-hour layover turned into an 18-hour ordeal after officials allegedly declared her passport “invalid” because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.
She described the experience as “traumatising” in a series of social media posts.
Responding to questions on the incident, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denied Thongdok’s account.
Mao said the woman “was not subjected to any compulsory measures, detainment or harassment as alleged by her,” adding that the airline had provided her with a place to rest, as well as “drink and food.”
“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,” PTI quoted Mao as saying.
According to PTI, citing government sources in Delhi, India lodged a strong demarche with China in both Beijing and New Delhi on the day the incident took place.
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View AllThe protest emphasised that Arunachal Pradesh is “indisputably” an Indian territory and that its residents are fully entitled to hold and travel with Indian passports.
The Indian Consulate in Shanghai also took up the case locally and provided “fullest assistance” to Thongdok after she contacted the mission through a friend in the UK, according to the report, citing officials.
Consular staff later helped her board a late-night flight out of Shanghai.
Reacting to the incident, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said he was “deeply shocked” and called the treatment of Thongdok “a violation of international norms and an affront to the dignity of Indian citizens.”
Thongdok alleges she was held for 18 hours at the airport after immigration personnel insisted her passport was invalid due to her birthplace. She was eventually allowed to depart with consular intervention, it was learnt.
With inputs from agencies