New Delhi: India on Monday issued a fresh advisory urging citizens travelling to China to exercise caution, while also asking Beijing for assurances that Indian nationals will not face any harassment or undue scrutiny at Chinese airports. The move comes after an Arunachal Pradesh woman was reportedly detained at Shanghai airport, prompting New Delhi to seek clarity and stronger safeguards for its travellers.
As per the reports, New Delhi earlier lodged a strong protest with Beijing after a woman from Arunachal Pradesh was detained at Shanghai airport on Nov 21 by authorities who declared her Indian passport invalid.
Expressing concern over the incident in Shanghai, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly briefing that Indians travelling to or transiting through China should exercise caution. He noted that New Delhi expects Beijing to assure that Indian citizens will not face selective targeting, arbitrary detention or harassment at Chinese airports, and that international travel norms will be fully respected.
The remarks come after Pema Wangjom Thongdok, a woman from Arunachal Pradesh, said she was detained by Shanghai airport immigration officials for over 18 hours. She alleged that she was mocked during questioning and even told to apply for a Chinese passport.
Thongdok, who lives in the UK, was travelling to Japan for a holiday with a scheduled three-hour layover in Shanghai. Despite holding a valid Japanese visa, she said she was barred from boarding her connecting China Eastern Airlines flight. According to her, the ordeal ended only after Indian authorities intervened.
People familiar with the development called the incident “unfortunate,” especially at a time when India and China have only recently resumed direct flights after nearly five years. They noted that episodes like this create needless hurdles in the broader effort to stabilise ties following the prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control.
Both countries reached an understanding to disengage in October 2024, which was followed by a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. During that meeting, the two leaders agreed to revive mechanisms to manage the border issue and push forward the process of normalising bilateral relations.
New Delhi's Response
New Delhi has repeatedly rejected Beijing’s territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the northeastern state is an integral and inalienable part of India.
Following Thongdok’s detention in Shanghai, the external affairs ministry lodged a strong demarche with Chinese officials both in Beijing and in New Delhi. The Indian consulate in Shanghai also raised the issue with local authorities. Officials familiar with the matter said India made it clear that Thongdok’s detention was “baseless,” since Arunachal Pradesh is unquestionably Indian territory and its residents are fully entitled to carry and travel on Indian passports.
They added that China’s actions appeared to violate international civil aviation norms under the Chicago and Montreal Conventions.
For years, Beijing has taken various steps to reinforce its claims over Arunachal Pradesh ranging from issuing stapled visas to its residents, to releasing maps depicting the state as Chinese territory, and renaming numerous towns and geographical features under what it calls “South Tibet.” India has consistently rejected all such moves.
