New Delhi: China firmly rejected allegations of an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh being harassed at Shanghai’s Pudong airport, and reiterated its claim over the northeastern state, which it calls Zangnan.
UK-based Indian citizen Pema Wangjom Thongdok, who was travelling from London to Japan on November 21, had claimed that her three-hour transit turned into an 18-hour ordeal as Chinese immigration officials declared her passport ‘invalid’ because it listed Arunachal Pradesh as her birthplace.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning denied any harassment of Pema at the Shanghai airport.
“She was not subjected to any compulsory measures, detainment or ha
rassment,” said Mao, adding that that border officials acted “according to laws and regulations” and that the airline had provided a place to rest, food and water.
The Foreign Ministry official used the incident to repeat what China has maintained for years about Arunachal Pradesh.
“Zangnan (Arunachal) is China’s territory. China never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally set up by India,” Mao said.
India earlier lodged a strong protest with China about the harassment charge by Pema.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said he was “deeply shocked”, calling it a “violation of international norms and an affront to the dignity of Indian citizens”.
Pema wrote in multiple social media posts that Chinese officials held her for hours before she could reach the Indian Consulate through a UK-based friend, and officials then helped her board a late-night flight out of Shanghai.