India Lodges Strong Protest Over Shanghai Airport Detention
India has initiated a firm diplomatic protest against China following the distressing 18-hour detention of an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh at Shanghai Airport. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed it has taken up the matter "at the highest level" with Chinese authorities, marking another tense moment in bilateral relations between the two neighboring nations.
The Ordeal: From Layover to Detention
Prema Wangjom Thongdok, currently a UK resident, experienced what she described as a "traumatising" incident during her travel from London to Japan on November 21. What should have been a routine three-hour layover at Shanghai Airport turned into an 18-hour nightmare when Chinese immigration officials refused to accept her Indian passport.
The core issue emerged because her passport listed Arunachal Pradesh as her place of birth. According to Thongdok's account, Chinese officials suggested she should apply for a Chinese passport instead, directly challenging India's territorial sovereignty over the northeastern state.
India's Firm Response and International Violations
The Ministry of External Affairs emphasized that China's actions violated multiple international conventions governing air travel. Particularly significant was the breach of China's own regulations that permit 24-hour visa-free transit for passengers of all nationalities.
In its strongly worded statement, the MEA reasserted India's consistent position: "Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact. No amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change this indisputable reality."
The incident occurred on November 26, 2025, and has sparked concerns about China's continued pattern of challenging Indian citizens from Arunachal Pradesh at international transit points. This case follows similar previous incidents where Chinese officials have questioned the status of Indian passports from the region.
India's protest underscores the ongoing territorial disputes between the two nations and highlights the very real consequences for ordinary citizens caught in diplomatic crossfires. The 18-hour detention represents one of the longest such incidents reported involving an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh.
