China insists that Arunachal Pradesh is an extension of Tibet, itself a source of tension between the neighbours: India’s decision in 1959 to give the current Dalai Lama sanctuary after he fled Lhasa during a Chinese crackdown has long been viewed by Beijing as a provocation.

China allows visa-free transit for Indian nationals for up to 24 hours. By comparison, U.S. citizens are given 10 days. Thongdok’s treatement caused an uproar in India and threatened to refreeze relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors which have thawed in recent months after a deadly border dispute.

Addressing a press briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India had issued a "strong demarche" and raised the issue with the Chinese side both in Delhi and Beijing.

To counter China's global dominance, the Indian government has approved a Rs 7,280 crore, seven-year scheme to promote the indigenous manufacturing of sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPMs)