India Slams China After Arunachal Woman Stopped During Shanghai Transit

Shanghai: India has expressed direct and strong objection to the detention of an Indian citizen at Shanghai Airport. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that Pema Wangjom, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, was on her way to Japan from London. She had a valid Indian passport and a short three-hour transit in Shanghai. Despite this, Chinese officials stopped her, saying that his passport was invalid.

India clearly said that Arunachal Pradesh is a part of India and its citizens have the full right to travel on Indian passports. According to the ministry, the way Pema was stopped was a completely arbitrary step, because she had only come to change the flight.

Why is China's move being said to be against the rules?

The Foreign Ministry alleged that China did not follow international transit rules. China has its own rule that travelers from any country can transit visa-free for 24 hours. Despite this rule, Pema was stopped for several hours.

On the other hand, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning says that Pema was neither detained nor mistreated. He claimed that the investigation was conducted as per legal procedure and she was given rest and food. Mao Ning argues that many countries conduct such investigations, so China's action cannot be called wrong.

Our response to media queries on statements made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/3JUnXjIBLc pic.twitter.com/DjEdy7TmTK

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) November 25, 2025

Why was Pema's experience so difficult?

According to Pema, she was detained at the airport for about 18 hours and was repeatedly told that her passport was not valid. She had to face problems only because her birthplace was mentioned as Arunachal Pradesh on her passport.

She wrote on social media that the short three-hour layover became a fearful and stressful experience for her. She said that she had to face repeated questioning and was not given clear information about anything.

What immediate steps did India take on this?

As soon as India became aware of the incident, New Delhi immediately sent a formal protest letter to the Chinese Embassy. The Indian Embassy in China and the Consulate General of Shanghai contacted Pema and started efforts to help.

Pema passed the message to Indian authorities through a friend living in the UK. With the help of the Indian Mission, she was able to get out of China by a late-night flight.

What did China say on India's protest?

After India's protest letter, Mao Ning again claimed that Arunachal Pradesh is part of China. China calls it Zangnan, or South Tibet. India has once again completely rejected this claim and has said that whatever claim China makes, the facts will not change.