Expect China to assure that Indian travellers will not be selectively targetted, detained or harassed: MEA
New Delhi, Dec. 8 — India told the media on Monday that it wants Chinese officials to guarantee that Indians passing through Chinese airports won’t be singled out, held without cause or harassed.
The demand follows a recent case in which an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was held at Shanghai International Airport against her will. New Delhi described the action as a blatant breach of international practice and the terms of the two‑way relationship.
“We expect the Chinese authorities to provide assurances that Indian citizens transiting through Chinese airports will not be selectively targeted, arbitrarily detained or harassed and that regulations governing international air travel would be respected by the Chinese side,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, at a weekly briefing. He added that the MEA would advise Indians to use caution when traveling to China or latching onto a layover.
Prema Wangjom Thongdok, an Indian traveler from Arunachal Pradesh, claimed that after a three‑hour layover while heading from London to Japan on Nov. 21 she was detained for 18 hours by Chinese immigration officers. She said the staff refused to accept her Indian passport, insisting that her birthplace—Arunachal Pradesh—was “part of China”.
The incident prompted India to lodge a sharp protest with Beijing. On Nov. 25 the MEA warned that Chinese authorities had not provided an explanation and that their conduct ran counter to several conventions on international aviation, as well as to their own rules that allow 24‑hour visa‑free transit for passengers from all countries.
India has also reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of the nation. In a statement the MEA declared, “This is a fact beyond dispute. No amount of denial or misrepresentation by China can alter this reality.”
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