‘Arunachal Part of China’: Indian Woman Faces Harassment In Shanghai As Officials Reject Her Passport

An Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh has reported being harassed by officials at Shanghai airport. The officials allegedly did not accept her Indian passport, claiming that Arunachal Pradesh is part of China. On social media, she shared that they deemed her Indian visa 'invalid', leaving her puzzled by the situation.

Pem Wang Thongdok, the woman in question, resides in the United Kingdom and was travelling from London to Japan on 21st November 2025. During a scheduled three-hour stopover in Shanghai, Chinese officials detained her for more than 18 hours. She expressed her ordeal on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Arunachal Pradesh Dispute

China maintains that Arunachal Pradesh is part of Southern Tibet. Earlier this year, China renamed 27 places, including 15 mountains and four passes in the region. India's Ministry of External Affairs dismissed these actions, stating they are 'vain and preposterous'. Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson, affirmed that Arunachal Pradesh remains an integral part of India.

Thongdok tagged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in her social media posts. She also reached out to the Prime Minister's Office and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, questioning if Arunachal Pradesh is indeed part of India. Her posts highlight her distress and confusion over being held at the airport.

During her layover in Shanghai, Thongdok stated, "I was held at Shanghai airport for over 18 hrs on 21st Nov, 2025 on claims by China immigration & @chinaeasternair." Her posts attracted attention as she sought clarity and support from Indian officials. The incident underscores ongoing tensions regarding territorial claims between India and China.

The Indian government has yet to issue an official response to Thongdok's claims. This incident adds to the ongoing territorial disagreements, with China's attempts to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, sparking diplomatic disagreements between the two nations.

The renaming actions by China were met with a strong rebuttal from India. Jaiswal remarked, "We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh." He emphasized that these actions cannot change the fact that Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of India.