In the midst of an ongoing reset in India-China relations, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a travel advisory urging Indian citizens to exercise caution and discretion when travelling to or transiting through China. This advisory follows the recent detention of an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh at Shanghai airport, an incident that has renewed concerns about the safety and treatment of Indian nationals in Chinese territory. The Indian government has simultaneously pressed Beijing to ensure that Indian travellers are not subjected to arbitrary questioning, detention, or harassment at immigration points. This development underscores the delicate state of bilateral ties and the complexities of people-to-people movement between the two countries.
MEA stresses ‘due discretion’ and seeks assurances from Beijing
During a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that the government had seen an increase in worrying patterns concerning Indian travellers in China. While emphasising that travel between nations should ideally remain unhindered, he urged Indian citizens to adopt “due discretion” when visiting or even briefly transiting through Chinese airports. This choice of words reflects a measured yet firm stance—India is not discouraging travel outright but is signalling that caution is essential under present circumstances.
The MEA elaborated that India expects Chinese authorities to act responsibly and provide adequate assurances to prevent Indian travellers from facing any form of discriminatory treatment. Jaiswal highlighted that India has specifically asked Beijing to ensure that its immigration and airport officials do not selectively target Indian passengers, detain them unnecessarily, or force them into confrontational questioning that violates global norms of civil aviation.
Furthermore, India reminded China that international air travel regulations govern the rights of transiting passengers and that no country should exploit its immigration authority to intimidate foreign nationals. The Indian government also stressed that such incidents, if repeated, could undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts, disturb the fragile atmosphere of trust, and negatively impact public sentiment on both sides.
The MEA’s statement comes at a time when India and China are cautiously working toward stabilising ties strained by border tensions in recent years. While diplomatic conversations continue, such episodes involving citizens have the potential to complicate matters and derail confidence-building measures.
The Shanghai detention incident that triggered India’s advisory
The immediate cause behind India’s advisory was the detention of Pema Wangjom Thongdok on November 21 at Shanghai’s international airport. Thongdok, originally from Arunachal Pradesh and currently residing in the United Kingdom, was travelling to Japan and had a confirmed three-hour layover in China. Despite carrying a valid Indian passport and a Japanese visa that clearly permitted onward travel, she was stopped by Chinese immigration officials and subjected to prolonged questioning.
According to her account, officers held her for more than 18 hours—far exceeding any reasonable security processing time. During this period, she claimed she was mocked, verbally humiliated, and pressured to apply for a Chinese passport, an act that she perceived as both coercive and discriminatory. Her description of the experience indicated deep distress and raised questions about the motivations behind her treatment.
The incident attracted significant attention not only because of the unusually long detention but also due to her place of origin—Arunachal Pradesh, a state China claims as part of its territory. Although India rejects these claims, the geopolitical background has heightened scrutiny of interactions between Chinese authorities and individuals from the region.
Thongdok’s experience highlights the vulnerability of transiting passengers who have little control over their situation once detained inside an international airport. She said she was denied basic clarity about the grounds for her detention and was unable to communicate freely during the ordeal. The episode has since sparked debate within India about whether Chinese authorities are intentionally singling out certain Indian nationals or whether this was an isolated incident stemming from misinterpretations or overreach by frontline immigration staff.
In addition to the distress experienced by Thongdok, the prolonged confinement resulted in missed flights and substantial disruption to her travel plans. Her account quickly spread online, leading many Indians to express alarm about travelling through Chinese airports and raising broader concerns about the safety of travellers who may be caught in the crossfire of geopolitical tension.
The MEA acknowledged these concerns and reaffirmed that India has formally raised the matter with the Chinese government. India has demanded guarantees that similar incidents will not recur and that Indian nationals—regardless of their state of origin—will be treated lawfully and respectfully.
The incident comes at a sensitive diplomatic juncture, where even minor missteps have the potential to escalate public distrust. Thongdok’s detention, therefore, serves as a flashpoint revealing how personal experiences of travellers can become deeply intertwined with broader strategic and political differences between nations.
