China on Tuesday reaffirmed that it considers Arunachal Pradesh part of its territory. At a press conference, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that China has never recognised Arunachal Pradesh as part of India.

This statement came shortly after reports emerged that Chinese officials detained an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh for 18 hours at Shanghai airport on November 21, sparking outrage in India and prompting a formal diplomatic protest.

“‘Zangnan’ is China’s territory. The Chinese side has never recognised the so-called ‘Arunachal Pradesh’ illegally set up by India,” Ning said.

China Uses ‘Zangnan’ in Territorial Claims

China refers to Arunachal Pradesh as ‘Zangnan’, which means ‘southern Tibet’. This is part of Beijing’s broader ‘cartographic warfare,’ where it gives Chinese names to foreign territories it claims. For example, it calls Tibet ‘Xizang’ and the Pinnacle Islands ‘Senkaku.’

Incident at Shanghai Airport

Regarding the woman’s detention, China claimed that its officials acted according to the law. However, both the woman and Indian government sources said Chinese officials harassed her.

Prema Thongdok, a financial consultant living in London, told The Hindu that she was held at Shanghai airport for 18 hours. She said immigration staff and airline personnel were “unprofessional and rude” and mocked her, repeatedly insisting that Arunachal was Chinese territory.

Thongdok added that officials told her to “apply for a Chinese passport” while withholding her own. She said she was detained without food, support, or proper communication.

India Criticises China’s Actions

Sources at India’s Ministry of External Affairs said such actions create unnecessary obstacles, especially at a time when both nations are trying to improve relations. They emphasized that China’s repeated claims over Arunachal Pradesh and harassment of citizens complicate diplomatic efforts.