Imagine being at the airport, in your zone and waiting to catch your flight, and suddenly the immigration personnel come and single you out to say that your passport is invalid. Not an easy thought, right? Something similar happened with an Indian citizen, having a layover at China’s Shanghai Airport, who was told to apply for a Chinese passport.
Pema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian citizen who was travelling from London to Japan on November 21, claimed that her three-hour scheduled layover turned into a traumatising ordeal at the Shaghai Airport after immigration personnel declared her passport “invalid”. Reason? Because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.
“I am an Indian citizen residing in the UK for about 14 years, and I was travelling from London to Japan via a transit in Shanghai. One of the officials from the Chinese immigration came over and singled me out of the queue. I asked her what was happening, and she went on to say, ‘Arunachal- not India, China-China, your visa is not acceptable. Your passport is invalid’,” she told news agency ANI.
What happened with Prema Thongdok in China?
Thongdok has been residing in the UK for around 14 years now, but continues to be an Indian citizen. After being stopped at the Shanghai Airport, she tried to question the immigration personnel and them what the issue was. It was then she was told that “Arunachal is not part of India”.
They even started mocking and laughing at her, and said things like “you should apply for the Chinese passport, you’re Chinese, you’re not Indian…” Thongdok added that officials stopped her at Shanghai airport for nearly 18 hours, she was made fun of, and was even asked to apply for a Chinese passport.
While China has made unwarranted claims over Arunachal Pradesh, an Indian state, this incident only proves how low could the country stoop to when it comes to border and security.
How did Thongdok got out of the situation?
In an interview with ANI, Thongdok claimed that she could not get in touch with her family members for a very long time. “The airline staff of China Eastern and about two other immigration officers were speaking in their language and saying and pointing out and saying Arunachal and laughing and calling it China, not India.”
“That was a very humiliating, questionable behaviour from the immigration staff as well as the airline staff,” she further alleged.
Thongdok then called up the Shanghai and Beijing Indian embassies, and within an hour, the Indian officials came to the airport, got her food and spoke through the issues with them and “helped me get out of the country.” “A very long ordeal, 18 hours, but glad that I’m out of there. I had my Indian passport, which is a valid document,” Thongdok told ANI.
India-China tensions heat up over Arunachal
India sent a firm message to China after the incident, saying that Arunachal Pradesh is “without any doubt” a part of India and that people living there have every right to use Indian passports, government sources told PTI.
The incident took place against the backdrop of China’s repeated claims that Arunachal Pradesh belongs to what it calls “South Tibet.” India has consistently rejected these claims, stating that the state is an essential and inseparable part of the country.
What did China say on Prema Thongdok episode?
China on Tuesday (November 25, 2025) rejected Prema’s allegations, insisting that its immigration officials acted strictly in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations. Responding to reports of misconduct against her, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning claimed that the woman was neither detained nor subjected to coercive measures, contrary to the accusations made by her.
She added that the airline had arranged rest facilities, water and food for the passenger during the process. “We understand that China’s border inspection authorities conducted the entire procedure legally and safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of the individual involved,” Mao asserted.
Reinforcing Beijing’s long-standing position, Mao again stated that China regards Arunachal Pradesh, referred to by Beijing as Zangnan or South Tibet, as part of its territory. “Zangnan is China’s territory. China has never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally established by India,” she said, signalling an expected continuation of territorial posturing amid already strained India-China relations.
India’s strong rebuke to China
After China once again blatantly claimed Arunachal as its own, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reaffirmed India’s long-standing position on the border dispute. “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact. No amount of denial by the Chinese side can alter this indisputable reality,” it said.
Further, it has raised Thongdok’s passport issue “at the highest level” with Chinese authorities, asserting that Beijing’s actions violated global aviation norms as well as China’s own regulations.
In a strong statement, the MEA said, “The issue of the detention has been taken up firmly with the Chinese side. Chinese authorities have still not provided any explanation for their actions, which violate several international conventions governing air travel.” The ministry noted that China had disregarded its own rule allowing 24-hour visa-free transit for passengers of all nationalities.