Arunachal is India's integral part, MEA issues travel advisory for China

The MEA reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and issued a travel advisory for China after an Indian from Arunachal was detained at Shanghai airport. India has lodged a formal objection with Beijing over the incident.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) strongly asserted India's unequivocal stance on Arunachal Pradesh amid renewed attention to the issue. In a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "We have stated many times that Arunachal Pradesh is and will remain an integral part of India, and we do not want any interference in it."

Travel Advisory Issued After Shanghai Airport Incident

Linking the territorial issue to recent developments, the MEA also issued a cautionary advisory for Indian travellers visiting or transiting through China. This came after an Indian national from Arunachal Pradesh was detained at Shanghai airport last month. Jaiswal said India expects China to abide by established global aviation norms and raised concern over the treatment of Indian citizens at Chinese airports. "We fully share your concern following the recent incident at Shanghai airport that you have cited. We expect the Chinese authorities to provide assurances that Indian citizens transiting through Chinese airports will not be selectively targeted, arbitrarily detained or harassed and that regulations governing international air travel would be respected by the Chinese side. MEA would advise Indian nationals to exercise due discretion while travelling to or transiting through China," he said.

The advisory followed an incident involving Prema Wangjom Thongdok, an Indian passport holder based in the United Kingdom, who was stopped by immigration officials in Shanghai on November 21. Authorities allegedly questioned the validity of her travel documents because her place of birth is Arunachal Pradesh, which they claimed was Chinese territory. Thongdok was travelling from London to Japan and had a brief layover in Shanghai when the incident occurred. She later described her experience on social media after leaving China.

India's Diplomatic Response and Bilateral Context

On November 24, official sources confirmed that a "strong demarche was made with the Chinese side, in Beijing and in Delhi, on the same day the incident took place." Following this, India lodged a formal objection with officials, noting that "such actions by the Chinese side introduce unnecessary obstructions to the process" of improving bilateral ties.

Relations between New Delhi and Beijing had been gradually improving over the past year, particularly after steps taken to resolve the four-year military confrontation in eastern Ladakh. (ANI)

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