Post by : Rameen Ariff

India has strongly protested to China after an Indian citizen was detained for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai Airport during a layover. The woman, Prema Wangjom Thongdok, who currently lives in the United Kingdom and travels on an Indian passport, was stopped by Chinese immigration officials on 21 November.

According to Indian officials, Chinese authorities told her that her Indian passport was “invalid” because she was born in Arunachal Pradesh, a region that China claims as its own and refers to as Zangnan. India has repeatedly rejected China’s territorial claims and considers Arunachal Pradesh an integral part of the country.

Prema was reportedly prevented from taking her connecting flight to Japan and was held for long hours without a clear explanation. She later said that she had no access to proper assistance and was questioned about her place of birth.

India’s foreign ministry said that China’s actions violated multiple international travel norms. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Chinese officials had failed to justify the detention and that India had raised the matter with Beijing “very strongly”.

China, however, defended its decision, saying that its border and immigration checks were carried out according to domestic laws and regulations.

The incident comes at a sensitive time, as India and China have been trying to slowly rebuild ties after years of tension along their disputed border. Despite recent high-level diplomatic visits, trust between the two nations remains fragile.

India and China share a 3,800 km-long border, which has been a long-standing source of conflict since the 1950s. Relations worsened sharply after a deadly clash in 2020, in which soldiers from both countries lost their lives.

This latest incident has renewed concerns about China’s approach toward Indian citizens born in Arunachal Pradesh and has added fresh strain to the already delicate relationship between the two Asian neighbours.

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