In India, a woman allegedly faced over 18 hours of detention at Shanghai Pudong International Airport after Chinese authorities refused to recognise her Indian passport.
The woman, who identified herself as Pem Wang Thongdok, a native of Arunachal Pradesh, narrated her ordeal in a series of posts on X. She claimed that although she currently lives in the United Kingdom, Chinese authorities told her that her passport was “invalid” because she was born in Arunachal Pradesh.
Thongdok described the distressing experience she faced on November 21, 2025, while travelling from London to Japan. She said she was detained for more than 18 hours at Shanghai airport after China’s immigration officials and China Eastern Airlines allegedly declared her Indian passport invalid. According to her posts, officials questioned the legitimacy of her passport solely because she was born in Arunachal Pradesh, a state China claims as its own territory.
She wrote that despite being an Indian citizen, her nationality was challenged due to her birthplace. Tagging Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, and several media outlets, she sought urgent attention to the matter. In another post addressed to the Prime Minister’s Office, she asked whether Arunachal Pradesh was considered part of China.
A report quoted her as saying the incident occurred after she had cleared immigration and was waiting at the security checkpoint. An official allegedly approached her, shouted her nationality, and escorted her back to the immigration counter, where she was told her passport was invalid because “Arunachal is part of China.” She also claimed she was prevented from boarding her connecting flight and pressured to buy a new China Eastern ticket.
Thongdok eventually left Shanghai after the Indian Consulate intervened. Her account comes amid ongoing Sino-Indian tensions over Arunachal Pradesh, which India asserts is an integral part of the country, while China continues to claim it as “South Tibet.”
