India Demands Assurances for Safe Transit of Citizens Through Chinese Airports

The Ministry of External Affairs is seeking assurances from China to prevent arbitrary detention of Indian citizens transiting through Chinese airports. This follows an incident involving Pema Wangjom Thongdok from Arunachal Pradesh, who was detained at Shanghai airport. India firmly rejects China's territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is pressing China for assurances that Indian citizens transiting through Chinese airports are not selectively targeted, arbitrarily detained, or harassed. The call comes in the wake of an incident where Pema Wangjom Thongdok from Arunachal Pradesh was detained for 18 hours at Shanghai Airport.

During the detention, Chinese officials reportedly declared Thongdok's Indian passport invalid, asserting Arunachal Pradesh is part of China. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that these actions are unacceptable and contravene international air travel regulations. India demands a guarantee from China that respects international protocols.

The incident led to a strong diplomatic protest from India, rejecting China's territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh. The MEA reaffirmed India's consistent stance, stating Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India, urging citizens to exercise caution when traveling to or transiting through China.