India has expressed strong objection to China’s attitude towards the detention of an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh during transit at Shanghai Pudong Airport. This incident has come to light at a time when both the countries are making efforts towards normalizing their strained relations.

What is the matter?

According to government sources, the woman was stopped during a transit halt at Shanghai Pudong Airport and her Indian passport was declared ‘invalid’. India lodged its strong protest on this. The Indian Consulate in Shanghai has also intervened and helped the woman.

India has clearly told China that the woman was detained without any valid basis. Also reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and the people here have full right to travel on Indian passport. India described China’s action as a violation of international civil aviation rules, especially the Chicago and Montreal Conventions.

The woman was stopped for about 18 hours

The woman, Pema Wangjom Thongdok, said that while traveling from London to Japan on November 21, she was stopped for about 18 hours in Shanghai transit, interrogated and repeatedly subjected to insulting behavior. Chinese immigration officials declared his passport invalid because Arunachal Pradesh was written as his birthplace. He was reportedly told that Arunachal Pradesh was part of China and was even advised to apply for a Chinese passport.

According to the passenger, his passport was confiscated, he was stopped from onward flights despite having a valid Japanese visa, and he was pressured to buy a new ticket. The woman also suffered financial loss due to this.

What did India say?

On this matter, India said that this action of China is an unnecessary hindrance in the ongoing efforts towards stabilizing bilateral relations. India described the incident as an insult to its sovereignty and sought accountability, compensation and an assurance from China that such behavior would not be repeated with travelers from Arunachal in future. At the same time, after the intervention of the Indian Consulate, the woman got permission to travel further late in the night.

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India has prepared plans to build at least 208 hydroelectric projects in the Brahmaputra River Basin in response to China’s massive hydropower projects. All these projects will be built in 12 sub-basins, which will achieve the capacity of producing about 65,000 MW of electricity. At present this scheme is under the supervision of the Energy Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

China’s answer to the dam
According to officials, China is building a 60,000 MW capacity dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibet (known as Brahmaputra in India and Jamuna in Bangladesh), which will be the world’s largest hydro project. In response to this, India plans to ensure balanced use and safety of water resources by building several small and big projects on the entire stretch of the river.

Biggest Project- Siang Upper Multipurpose Project
The largest among India’s proposed projects is the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), which will have a capacity of 11,000 MW. It is proposed to be built in Arunachal Pradesh, but has been stalled for a decade due to local opposition. In May 2025, NHPC has restarted the survey work in police security.

Importance of Brahmaputra Basin
The Brahmaputra river basin extends to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and West Bengal. The region holds 80% of India’s total untapped hydropower potential, of which Arunachal Pradesh alone has 52 gigawatts (GW) of potential.

Existing and new projects
Currently, projects with a capacity of about 4,807 MW are underway in the Brahmaputra Basin, while projects of 2,000 MW are under construction. The new scheme includes large hydro projects as well as pumped hydro storage and small (<25 MW) projects.

China’s dam called ‘water bomb’
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu had said that China’s dam is being built very close to the state border and it can prove to be a threat like a ‘water bomb’. He warned that ‘this could become an existential crisis for our tribes and livelihoods.’ The Foreign Ministry has said that India is keeping a close eye on China’s activities. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar had formally raised this issue during his visit to Beijing in July.

On one hand, China is talking about normalizing relations with India, while on the other hand it is busy preparing for war. Looking at the latest activities, it seems that China is planning a major war against India in the next few years. On the eastern bank of the Pangong Lake of Ladakh, he is setting up a tremendous military infrastructure and has laid the foundation of the world’s largest hydropower project on the Brahmaputra River (China Yarlung Zhangbo, which flows in the Northeast). That is, China is currently preparing to surround India on two fronts, one military pressure and the other strategic water control.

China’s dangerous military construction near Pangong Lake
According to Open Source Intelligence (OSNIT), satellite photographs make it clear that China is building a large military complex on the eastern bank of Pangong Lake, which is almost complete. China has built deep garages in this complex, where armored vehicles and missile trucks can be hidden. Apart from this, a highway -like structure has been created, which can be used as a launching platform or radar.

OSNIT has also reported that this military structure is located near a radar site and can be used for SAM i.e. Surface to Air Missile System or other weapons. Experts say that if China develops airstrikes and monitoring capacity from here, it can affect India’s strategic freedom.

This infrastructure of China is becoming a strategic threat
According to intelligence reports, China is preparing the region in such a way that missiles and other strategic weapons can be safely placed there. If China can monitor India’s airspace from here and gain the ability to attack with missiles, then it will be a big threat to India’s military power. This structure seems to be a part of a strategic strategy against India.

China laid the foundation of the world’s largest dam on Brahmaputra
The reason for the second concern for India is the new hydropower project of China on the Brahmaputra River. On July 19, Chinese Prime Minister Lee Kyang laid the foundation stone of Medog Hydropower Station, which is going to become the largest dam in the world. This dam will generate three times more electricity than China’s already three george dams. The estimated cost of this project is $ 167 billion and it will be ready in the next ten years.

China is describing it as necessary for energy and development, but experts believe that this is a strategy against India. This dam is being built in an area adjacent to Arunachal Pradesh in India and a tunnel road comes very close to the border of India, causing a direct threat to the northeastern borders of India.

Water-de-addiction and flood threat also increased
Another major concern of India is that China has not yet signed a water-sharing agreement on the Brahmaputra River. This means that India does not get information about the water flow of this river, due to which the danger of sudden floods increases further. Experts believe that this dam may be a part of China’s strategy to use water as a weapon during war. A Chinese social media user wrote – “It is a power project in peace, but in the war? … I will not say anything, understand.” This statement is a serious sign about China’s intention.

Dual trick to surround India!
It is clear that China is preparing to surround India at two levels. On the one hand, India’s security is being challenged by creating a military base on Pangong Lake, on the other hand, water is being made weapons by making dams on the Brahmaputra. Both these strategies are a serious threat to India’s geopolitical and strategic status. India will now have to be alert and answer this threat at strategic, diplomatic and military level.

India China: China has once again tried to conspiracy against India. He has changed the names of some places in Arunachal Pradesh amid tension with Pakistan. India has given a befitting reply to China on this matter. India dismissed China’s efforts out on Wednesday, saying that this kind of absurd efforts will not change this undisputed truth.

India gave a strict message to China on the matter of Arunachal Pradesh and said, “The truth is not going to change.” This state was an integral part of India, and will remain. ”India has made this comment by reacting its names for some places in Arunachal Pradesh. China claims that Arunachal Pradesh is the southern part of Tibet.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said, “We have seen that China has made futile and absurd efforts to change the name of places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.” He said, “We clearly reject such efforts to such efforts to suit our theoretical attitude.”

Jaiswal made these comments while answering the media question on this issue. He said, “It will not change the undisputed reality by having a creative name that Arunachal Pradesh was an integral and inseparable part of India, and always.”

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