MEA seeks assurances from China after Arunachal-origin Indian detained at Shanghai airport

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday urged China to provide clear assurances that Indian travellers transiting through Chinese airports will not be “selectively targeted, arbitrarily detained or harassed,” following an incident involving an Indian national from Arunachal Pradesh who was stopped at Shanghai airport last month.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing a weekly press briefing, said India expects China to respect international air travel regulations and ensure fair treatment of Indian citizens. He also advised Indian nationals to exercise “due discretion” while travelling to or transiting through China.

Jaiswal said, “We expect the Chinese authorities to provide assurances that Indian citizens transiting through Chinese airports will not be selectively targeted, arbitrarily detained or harassed, and that regulations governing international air travel would be respected by the Chinese side. MEA would advise Indian nationals to exercise due discretion while travelling to China, or while transiting through the country.”

The caution comes after Prema Wangjom Thongdok, an Indian passport holder originally from Arunachal Pradesh and currently based in the UK, was detained for nearly 18 hours during a layover at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on November 21. Chinese immigration officials allegedly refused to accept her Indian passport, claiming her place of birth – Arunachal Pradesh – was “part of China.”

Thongdok, who was travelling from London to Japan, later recounted the experience on social media. Following the incident, India issued a strong demarche to China in both Beijing and New Delhi on the same day.

Jaiswal reiterated India’s position that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, dismissing China’s territorial claims. He said the detention of an Indian citizen holding a valid passport was “arbitrary” and raised concerns about the violation of international norms.

“As far as the China-India relationship is concerned, whenever we have had discussions with the Chinese side, we have conveyed to the media how these relations are gradually moving in a positive direction. And we wish to take it in that same direction, he said.