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MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “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 is going to change this indisputable reality.”
Indian woman from Arunachal detained 18 hours in Shanghai over passport dispute (IMG: Google)
New Delhi: The foreign ministry of India on Tuesday reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh remains an “integral and inalienable part of India,” hours after the government of China denied that an Indian woman was mistreated at a Shanghai airport. The denial came in response to allegations that the woman’s passport was declared “invalid” by Chinese immigration officials because her birthplace was listed as “Arunachal Pradesh.”
According to her account, the woman, a UK‑based Indian traveller, had a scheduled layover of just three hours on November 21, 2025, but was detained for nearly 18 hours after officials refused to recognise her passport. The detention triggered a diplomatic protest from India’s ministry of external affairs.
In its statement, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the immigration authorities had followed “laws and regulations” and denied any harassment, compulsory measures or detainment. She referred to Arunachal Pradesh as part of “China’s territory,” and said China does not recognise the state as set up by India.
In response, India’s government said that such denial or invalidation of a valid Indian passport, simply because the holder’s birthplace is in Arunachal, is unacceptable. A strong protest has been lodged, and New Delhi said it reserves “the right to suitably respond.” The ministry reaffirmed its stance that Arunachal is part of India. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “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 is going to change this indisputable reality.”
Our response to media queries on statements made by the Chinese Foreign Ministry⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/3JUnXjIBLc pic.twitter.com/DjEdy7TmTK— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) November 25, 2025
Arunachal Pradesh’s chief minister also issued a statement, calling the alleged treatment and “racial mockery” of the woman “appalling.”
This 2025 airport‑detention is not the first time people from Arunachal Pradesh have faced unequal treatment from Chinese authorities. A similar incident occurred in 2023, involving three Indian athletes selected to represent the country.
The athletes, Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega, and Mepung Lamgu, were part of the Indian Wushu contingent for the 2022 Asian Games (held in 2023 in China). Instead of the standard entry badges (which also serve as visas) given to other Indian competitors, the three were issued visas stapled into their passports, a different treatment not applied to their teammates.
The athletes refused to accept the stapled visas, and as a result, were denied entry to China and could not participate in the Games.
The issue triggered a diplomatic protest from India. The government described the move as discriminatory, in violation of the spirit of international sport and proper visa norms. The country’s Sports Minister at the time, Anurag Thakur, cancelled his planned visit to China in protest.
Members of India’s wushu association also called the decision “an insult to the whole nation,” and raised concerns that such selective treatment could affect Indian athletes from Arunachal in future international events held in China.
The 2023 case affected the sporting aspirations of athletes; the 2025 incident affected ordinary international travel, showing that such treatment can impact Indians from Arunachal Pradesh in different contexts: sports, travel, personal mobility. Arunachal Pradesh has always been an integral and inalienable part of India. Such discriminatory behaviour against Indian citizens is unjust and unacceptable. No Indian should face harassment, racial mockery, or differential treatment while travelling or representing the country.
