India-China Row Escalates Over Detained Arunachal Passenger

People have been reacting strongly on social media after Prema Thongdok, a UK-based financial adviser originally from Arunachal Pradesh, was detained for 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong Airport.

Thongdok, who was only transiting for three hours on her way to Japan, said Chinese officials declared her Indian passport “invalid” because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.

Despite having a valid Japan visa, she was denied her onward flight, not given food, and told she could only return to the UK or India — with one officer even suggesting she apply for a Chinese passport.

After returning, Thongdok and her family urged the Indian government to take up the issue strongly with China and seek compensation for the harassment, distress, and financial losses she faced.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage online, with many accusing China of politically motivated harassment. India soon lodged a strong demarche with Chinese authorities, reaffirming that Arunachal Pradesh is an “integral and inalienable” part of India and that China’s denial cannot change this “indisputable reality.”

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denied the allegations, saying Thongdok faced no detainment or harassment and that border authorities acted according to law while protecting her rights.

India, however, strongly countered these claims, noting that Chinese authorities violated multiple international air-travel conventions, as well as China’s own regulations that allow visa-free transit for up to 24 hours for nationals of all countries.