In a year that saw India and China inching forward into easing and improving bilateral ties through the leaders of the two nations meeting in Tianjin, the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and also resumption of visas, the incident regarding the detention of an Indian girl at Shanghai airport (as she was born in Arunachal Pradesh) is being viewed as an aberration and not a road-block.
It may be recalled that, on 21 November, an Indian woman, Prema Wangjom Thongdok, residing in the UK at present, was transiting through Shanghai for Japan. While she was being cleared by the security, she was detained for 18 hours, as her passport showed her place of birth as Arunachal Pradesh.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that the woman was not subjected to any pressure, detainment or harassment. “We have learnt that China’s border inspection authorities had gone through the whole process according to the laws and regulations and fully protected the lawful rights and interests of the person concerned. Zangnan (the Chinese name for Arunachal) is China’s territory, as we have never acknowledged the so-called Arunachal Pradesh illegally set up by India,” said Mao.
“We have seen the statements made by the Chinese ministry for foreign affairs regarding the arbitrary detention of an Indian citizen from Arunachal Pradesh,” responded Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the ministry for external affairs (MEA) of India. “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and this is a self-evident fact. No amount of denial by the Chinese side is going to change that indisputable reality”.
The issue of detention was taken up strongly with the Chinese authorities, who haven’t been able to explain their actions, which violate conventions governing international air travel. “This act also violates China’s own regulation that allows visa-free transit for up to 24 hours for nationals of all countries,” Jaiswal added.
However, experts feel that this incident is unlikely to cloud the renewal of ties between the two nations. “Direct flights have resumed after a gap of five years between India and China,” remarked an expert on Indo-China. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have had meetings in person and trade is on the ascendant. I don’t see any immediate reason for ties between the two nations to go sour”.
Positive moves
Bilateral trade between India and China for 2024-25 has touched $127.7 billion. The two countries have also announced the resumption of border trade (suspended five years back) through three passes – Lipulekh, Shipki La and Nathu La. The formalities for the same are now being completed.
India’s EV sector depends heavily on Chinese battery cells, rare-earth magnets and power electronics. The solar energy sector remains structurally reliant on Chinese polysilicon, wafers and cells, despite tariff barriers and domestic capacity-building efforts. Drone manufacturing, too, is dominated by Chinese components, while the electronics industry, particularly smartphones, still cannot scale without Chinese inputs.
India officially resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals worldwide earlier in November. Business visas were already being issued. The resumption of the issuing of visas is a part of a series of `people-centric’ confidence-building.
Meanwhile, China’s Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, has said that the India-China border issue was complex and would take time to resolve. “I believe that, as two ancient civilisations, our nations have sufficient wisdom and ability to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas and find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution,” said Ambassador Feihong. China was willing to work with India under the guidance of the two leaders to strengthen normalised boundary management and control, carry forward the process of management and de-escalation and jointly maintain peace and tranquillity around the border areas, he added.
Earlier this year, India and China agreed to disengage and resume patrolling in pre-2020 tension areas like Depsang Plains and Demchok. There have been agreements to hold sustained border-level dialogues between military officials. So, while the recent episode would be an aberration, the overall bilateral ties between India and China are slated to improve.