India Protests China’s Passport Standoff
India has lodged a strong and formal diplomatic protest, known as a demarche, with China following the alleged detention and harassment of an Indian citizen at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. The diplomatic fury stems from Chinese immigration officials reportedly declaring the individual’s Indian passport “invalid” solely because it listed her birthplace as Arunachal Pradesh.
The citizen, identified as Pema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based financial adviser originally from Arunachal Pradesh, was traveling from London to Japan with a transit stop in Shanghai. What was meant to be a short layover quickly turned into an 18-hour ordeal when Chinese authorities reportedly flagged her passport, insisting that Arunachal Pradesh was “part of China” and therefore could not be listed as a birthplace on an Indian document.
Sources indicate that the officials not only seized her passport and prevented her from boarding her onward flight, despite her holding a valid Japanese visa, but also denied her access to essential facilities. She alleged that airport staff even mocked her and pressured her to apply for a Chinese passport. This treatment, she stated, was a direct challenge to India’s sovereignty and an deeply distressing ordeal for any Indian national.
In response, New Delhi acted swiftly and decisively, issuing a strong demarche to Beijing on the very day of the incident. This formal protest was delivered simultaneously to Chinese officials in both New Delhi and the Chinese capital. The Indian side firmly conveyed that Arunachal Pradesh is an indisputable, integral, and inalienable part of Indian territory and that its residents are perfectly entitled to hold and travel with Indian passports without any hindrance.
The Ministry of External Affairs stressed that the passenger was detained on “ludicrous grounds” and that the actions of the Chinese authorities violated international conventions related to civil aviation. The Indian Consulate in Shanghai intervened rapidly after being alerted by the citizen, providing immediate consular assistance, food, and working to secure her release from the transit area.
This episode has reignited tensions between the two nations over the contested border region, which China refers to as “Zangnan” or Southern Tibet. India has consistently and vehemently rejected China’s claims, including previous instances where Beijing attempted to rename places in the state or issued controversial stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh.
The government is committed to ensuring the safety and dignity of all its citizens, and this latest diplomatic move signals that New Delhi will not tolerate any attempt to undermine the status or travel rights of individuals from Arunachal Pradesh. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the persistent friction along the border and the need for diplomatic vigilance.
