India has strongly reaffirmed that Arunachal Pradesh is an “integral part” of the country after China reiterated its territorial claim during a diplomatic row sparked by the detention of an Indian citizen at Shanghai Airport.
Read More: China renames Arunachal Pradesh areas with Chinese names
The dispute escalated after Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based woman from Arunachal Pradesh, said she was held for 18 hours and mocked by immigration officers who insisted her birthplace was Chinese territory.
In the case of a woman from Arunachal Pradesh transiting in China, Spox of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Mao Ning, says, “Zangnan is China’s territory. The Chinese side has never recognised the so-called “Arunachal Pradesh” illegally set up by India. On the individual… pic.twitter.com/UH3cDEV9Kw
— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2025
Our EAM hasn’t uttered a word on Indian-origin women being detained in China &Arunachal being declared their territory
Some paid agents reported, citing ‘sources’, that India has reacted strongly
Today, the Chinese FM officially declared Arunachal as part of China
-Nimbu… pic.twitter.com/cHJsIVYd4Q
— Avishek Goyal (@AG_knocks) November 25, 2025
China maintains that Arunachal Pradesh — which it refers to as Zangnan — is part of South Tibet, a position India has repeatedly dismissed. Responding to media queries on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing “never recognised the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ illegally set up by India”, while denying that Thongdok had been detained or harassed.
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
In a late-night response, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal rejected China’s claims, stating that “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact”. He added that Beijing’s position “does not change the indisputable reality” and criticised Chinese authorities for failing to justify their actions, which he said violated international air travel conventions and China’s own 24-hour visa-free transit rules.
#WATCH | Prema Wangjom Thongdok from Arunachal Pradesh claims that Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport declared her Indian passport invalid and delayed her travel to Japan.
She says, “… When I tried to question them and ask them what the issue was, they… pic.twitter.com/onL9v1Oe0j
— ANI (@ANI) November 24, 2025
The tensions come as New Delhi and Beijing cautiously attempt to improve relations following years of hostility. Thongdok, who has lived in the United Kingdom for 14 years, was travelling from London to Japan when she encountered immigration issues during a layover in Shanghai on November 21. She said officials called her Indian passport invalid and told her she was “Chinese, not Indian”, before the Indian embassies in Shanghai and Beijing intervened.
Read More: India protests detention of Arunachal woman in Shanghai
The incident adds fresh strain to bilateral ties already weakened by a deadly 2020 clash in the Himalayas. India and China share a 3,800-kilometre disputed border, and the latest row underscores the fragility of their recent diplomatic outreach.