'Arunachal Indisputably Indian Territory,' India Tells China Over Woman's Detention In Shanghai

Last Updated:November 24, 2025, 21:19 IST

India made a strong demarche with Chinese authorities in Beijing over the visa-related harassment faced by Arunachal resident Prema Thongdok.

Prema Wangjom Thongdok alleges Chinese immigration officers questioned her Indian identity and held her for hours. (IMAGE: LINKEDIN)

Indian officials on Monday lodged a strong demarche with China after Arunachal Pradesh resident Prema Wangjom Thongdok was detained during transit in Shanghai, stressing that Arunachal is “indisputably" Indian territory, sources said.

“A strong demarche was made with the Chinese side, in Beijing and in Delhi, on the same day the incident took place. Our Consulate in Shanghai also took up the matter locally and extended fullest assistance to the stranded passenger," one of the sources said.

Chinese officials harassed her, telling her she should obtain Chinese citizenship and claiming that Arunachal Pradesh “is not a part of India."

Prema had earlier told news outlets that Indian officials from the Shanghai and Beijing consulates rushed to help her after Chinese immigration officers and staff at Shanghai Pudong Airport mocked her nationality and questioned her Indian citizenship and visa documents. Officials eventually secured her release and enabled her onward travel. She was visiting Japan and had been transiting through Shanghai while travelling from the UK.

“They got me some food and spoke through the issues with them and helped me get out of the country. A very long ordeal — 18 hours — but glad that I’m out of there…" she said.

The sources said that it was made clear to Chinese authorities that “Arunachal Pradesh is indisputably Indian territory and its residents are perfectly entitled to hold and travel with Indian passports" and it was stressed that Prema, an Indian citizen from Arunachal living in the UK, was “detained on ludicrous grounds".

Sources also pointed out to the Chinese side that the ordeal suffered by Prema, who works as an IFPR reporting specialist at ACA London, at the hands of Chinese officials “introduce unnecessary obstructions to the process".

They were told that their actions were “in contravention of the Chicago and Montreal Conventions relating to civil aviation".

News world 'Arunachal Indisputably Indian Territory,' India Tells China Over Woman's Detention In Shanghai

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