Why Arunachal woman was called ‘Chinese’ at Shanghai airport – explaining China's long- running claim over Indian state

Prema Wangjom Thongdok, a UK-based Indian- origin woman, told news agency ANI that Chinese immigration officials at Shanghai Pudong Airport declared her Indian passport invalid and delayed her travel to Japan.

"... When I tried to question them and ask them what the issue was, they said, 'Arunachal is not part of India' and started mocking and laughing and saying things like 'you should apply for the Chinese passport, you're Chinese, you're not Indian...," she said.

What led to the woman's "harassment" at the Shanghai airport stems from a diplomatic issue between India and China, and Beijing's aggressive territorial claims.

What's the controversy around the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh? Why is there a border dispute between India and China over Arunachal Pradesh? Here's all you need to know.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as its territory

China considers the entire Arunachal Pradesh its territory, calling it "Zangnan" or Southern Tibet - a claim India firmly rejects.

Back in 2023, Beijing released a so-called standard map, depicting Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as Chinese territories, in an attempt to assert its claim over the Indian state.

China has also renamed certain places in Arunachal Pradesh at least four times — in 2017, 2021, 2023, and 2024.

But India has outrightly rejected China's claim and maintained that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country.

In 2024, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar had quipped, “If today, I change the name of your house, will it become mine? Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be a state of India. Changing names does not have an effect...Our army is deployed there (Line of Actual Control)...”

Origin of India-China diplomatic dispute over Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh has been a flashpoint between India and China for decades. While the historical backdrop of the dispute dates to the 1962 Sino-Indian War — where China launched a military offensive and occupied parts of Arunachal Pradesh — the current conflict began in 2007.

The McMahon Line

India asserts its irrefutable claim over Arunachal Pradesh based on the McMahon Line, which was established as the legal boundary between Tibet and British India in the 1914 Shimla Convention.

Defence & Strategic Affairs Analyst Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd) told Mint that while representatives from Tibet [which was then an independent country] and the British Indian government signed the agreement, Chinese officials said that they never signed the deal. So, China never recognised the McMahon Line.

Why does China want Arunachal Pradesh?

Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd) said China is interested in Arunachal Pradesh because it believes that the next Dalai Lama to be appointed by the present Dalai Lama will be from Tawang, a border district in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Dalai Lama is an iconic religious figure among the Tibetans (Tibet borders Arunachal Pradesh) and Buddhists.

Tawang became part of India in 1951 — when Tawang was an independent entity after the Battle of Chamdo when China annexed Tibet.

Tawang is bounded by Tibet to the north and Bhutan to the south-west. China had invaded Tibet in the Battle of Chamdo.

Arunachal Pradesh as China's 'bargaining chip'

Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd) said China used Arunachal Pradesh as a "bargaining chip" to persuade India to recognise the Aksai Chin area as part of China. However, India believes that Aksai Chin was illegally occupied by China in the 1962 war. It never recognises the area as part of the Chinese territory.

Why is Aksai Chin important for China?

It is because Aksai Chin is the place which connects China with Pakistan through which the present-day China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is going, Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd) said.

"For China, Aksai Chin is important because it gave access to Pakistan," he added.