United States Trade Representative (USTR) Deletes X Post Showing India Map With PoK and Aksai Chin As Indian Territory

VoM News Desk | February 11, 2026 | 02:49 PM IST | Breaking News, India, World | Follow on Google News

United States Trade Representative (USTR) Deletes X Post Showing India Map With PoK, Aksai Chin As Indian Territory

New Delhi/Washington: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has deleted a social media post that featured a map of India depicting the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh — including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin — as Indian territory.

The graphic, posted on February 7 on the USTR’s official X account, had drawn significant attention because it departed from Washington’s long-standing practice of marking PoK and Aksai Chin as disputed areas.

The map appeared as part of an announcement related to a bilateral interim framework agreement on trade between India and the United States. The accompanying graphic highlighted India’s tariff reductions on certain American exports.

Departure From Past Practice

Historically, US government maps have shown demarcation lines in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to indicate disputed territories claimed by Pakistan and China. In contrast, the now-deleted USTR post did not include any such markings and depicted the entire region as part of India.

The omission sparked debate among analysts and observers. Some viewed it as a possible geopolitical signal reflecting Washington’s strategic alignment with New Delhi, particularly at a time of strained US relations with both Pakistan and China. Others suggested it may have been an oversight.

The United States has in recent years strengthened strategic ties with India, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, even as trade tensions between the two sides have fluctuated.

With the post now removed, the USTR has not issued a public clarification on the change.

India’s Position

India maintains that the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “has been, is, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India.” New Delhi also asserts that Aksai Chin is an integral part of Indian territory.

Parts of the region remain under the control of Pakistan and China, both of which lay claim to sections of the territory.

The deletion of the post appears to end speculation over whether the map signified a shift in official US policy.

VoM News Desk

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