India hits back at China over remarks on Arunachal Pradesh: ‘No amount of denial…’

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

India on Tuesday strongly opposed the detention of an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh by Chinese authorities at Shanghai international airport, terming the incident as a violation of international norms and bilateral agreement. This comes after a woman from Arunachal Pradesh was allegedly detained and harassed for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai Pudong Airport as Chinese immigration officials reportedly refused to recognize her Indian passport.

Answering questions from the media, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the issue was strongly discussed with the Chinese side. “Chinese authorities have yet to provide any credible justification for their actions, which contravene established international air travel conventions and their own visa-free transit policies,” Jaiswal said. He reiterated India’s consistent position that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of the country. “This is an indisputable fact. No amount of denial or misrepresentation by China can change this fact,” he added. In its official statement, China denied that the Indian woman was harassed and reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls Zangnan, is its territory.

The incident further strained diplomatic ties, with India demanding accountability and adherence to international norms from China. Prema Thongdok, an Indian woman from Rupa in the West Kameng district who had been living in the UK for several years, was traveling from London to Japan on holiday on November 21 when a three-hour wait turned into a long and harrowing detention. He detailed his ordeal on social media and in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(With inputs from news agency IANS).