The incident of an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh being detained for 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong International Airport has escalated tensions in India-China relations.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): Pema Wangzom Thongdok, a resident of Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh, India, and currently living in London, posted on social media on November 23, 2025, claiming that on November 21, while transiting through Shanghai Pudong International Airport for just 3 hours en route from London to Japan, Chinese immigration officials called her back and declared her Indian passport “invalid”.
In her posts, she strongly asserted her Indian citizenship and questioned whether Arunachal Pradesh is not part of India. She also highlighted the mocking and humiliating behavior of Chinese officials, who allegedly laughed at her for being Indian and even told her to “apply for a Chinese passport”. This was because her birthplace on the passport was listed as Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls “Zangnan” (South Tibet) and claims as its own territory.
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She described the actions of the airport authorities as “an insult to India’s sovereignty” and appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for intervention.
In a series of thread-like posts, she described the incident in detail: how immigration officers shouted “India, India” to call her back, confiscated her passport, and forced China Eastern Airlines to make her buy a new ticket. She also mentioned that she is a UK resident and had previously transited through Shanghai multiple times without any issue, but this time the officials ignored her pleas and acted irresponsibly.
Pema Wangzom Thongdok’s posts went viral rapidly. As a result, India issued a strong diplomatic protest (demarche) to China in both countries. India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that Arunachal Pradesh is “undeniably Indian territory” and its citizens have every right to travel on Indian passports. The action was termed detention “on flimsy grounds”. The Indian Consulate in Shanghai provided full assistance to the woman and helped her leave the country quickly.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu called the incident “a violation of international norms and an insult to the dignity of Indian citizens”. He said treating a woman with a valid Indian passport in such a manner is “completely unacceptable”.
On November 25, China, through its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, issued a clarification stating that the woman was not forcibly detained or subjected to coercive action. Border inspection officials followed “routine procedures in accordance with law and regulations”. Airport authorities fully protected her legal rights, and she was provided rest and food facilities by the airline.
China once again reiterated that “Zangnan is Chinese territory” and that it “will never recognize the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India”. This reflects China’s consistent geopolitical stance on the issue.