India has urged China to guarantee that Indian travelers transiting through Chinese airports will not face arbitrary detention or harassment.
The request follows an incident last month when an Indian woman was detained for hours at Shanghai airport, raising diplomatic concerns and prompting scrutiny over travel safety.
At a weekly briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has lodged a strong protest with Beijing over what it termed the inappropriate detention of an Indian passport holder. He emphasized that such incidents undermine efforts to rebuild trust between the two countries, whose relations have recently shown signs of stability. Jaiswal also advised Indian nationals to exercise due discretion when traveling to or through China.
The November Airport Incident
Indian media identified the detained traveler as Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian passport holder. She was transiting through Shanghai on November 21 when officials reportedly told her passport was invalid because she was born in Arunachal Pradesh, a state claimed by China as part of southern Tibet (referred to by Beijing as Zangnan).
Thongdok was prevented from boarding her connecting flight to Japan and held for 18 hours before being released. The case has revived concerns about how Beijing’s territorial claims can affect Indian travelers from disputed regions.
China’s Response
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has not commented on Monday’s developments. Last month, Beijing said airport checks were conducted according to laws and regulations, without addressing the specifics of Thongdok’s detention.
Context of India-China Relations
The travel dispute comes as India and China cautiously seek to improve ties after years of tension. In August 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China for the first time in seven years, meeting President Xi Jinping to emphasize partnership over rivalry.
Relations had sharply deteriorated after a deadly border clash in the Himalayas in 2020, where 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed. The two nuclear-armed neighbors continue to share a 3,800 km disputed frontier.
