India has strongly condemned China’s latest act of hostility after a UK-based Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh was detained and humiliated for 18 hours at Shanghai airport, raising sharp questions about whether Beijing can ever be trusted.
At a time when China claims it wants to restore calm and stability along the border, its behaviour towards Indian citizens tells a very different story — one that reeks of disrespect, aggression, and a refusal to mend its ways.
The Ministry of External Affairs called China’s “arbitrary actions” against Pema (Prema) Wang Thongdok — a financial adviser based in the UK — “most unhelpful” and damaging to the fragile process of rebuilding ties.
Thongdok was detained on November 21 during a transit stop in Shanghai after Chinese immigration authorities refused to recognise her Indian passport simply because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her place of birth.
She was held in isolation, denied explanation, and pressured for hours — an ordeal she described as pure harassment.
India has lodged a strong protest, issuing a formal demarche in both Beijing and New Delhi. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and no amount of Chinese denial will ever alter this fact.
He also reminded that China’s behaviour violates international air travel conventions and even its own rule allowing 24-hour visa-free transit.
But the real question India is now asking is — Can China be trusted?
On one hand, China speaks of peace, confidence-building and resuming pilgrimages, cultural exchanges and direct flights.
On the other hand, it humiliates an Indian woman, challenges Indian sovereignty, and continues to rename locations inside Arunachal Pradesh with Chinese names — a symbolic but hostile act of attempted erasure.
No Indian has forgotten the slogan “Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai”, once celebrated before being shattered by betrayal in the 1960s. Decades later, the pattern continues: friendly promises publicly, aggressive behaviour silently.
Even after the violent border clashes and the long standoff in 2020, China insists it wants normalisation — but its actions scream the opposite.
This incident is not just about immigration harassment. It is about a calculated attempt to undermine India’s territorial integrity and intimidate its citizens globally. It exposes China’s two-faced diplomacy: a handshake with one hand, a slap with the other.
As India pushes forward on defence, diplomacy, and global partnerships, one reality stands clear:
Respect is the foundation of peace — and China has shown none.
If Beijing truly wants normalisation, it must stop bullying, stop territorial fantasies, and start acting like a responsible neighbour.**
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