The Trump administration has deleted a social media post announcing a India-US trade deal, that featured a map of India showing the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, inlcuding Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin as Indian territory.  

As of Wednesday, the post had been removed and was no longer visible on the official X account of the US Trade Representative.

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is under Pakistan’s illegal control, while Aksai Chin is an integral part of India but is currently claimed by China.

The post was deleted following a few days of speculation over whether the map indicated a shift in Washington’s stance on the disputed regions or was simply an technical error.

The map, released last week while announcing a trade deal, attracted attention for appearing to diverge from previous US representations, which typically depicted PoK with a distinct boundary and dotted lines to acknowledge sensitivities surrounding Pakistan’s claims. 

By deleting the post, the US Trade Representative’s office seems to have paused the immediate controversy without providing any formal explanation. 

What was actually shown in now-deleted post by USTR office

On February 7, the US Trade Representative office released the map while announcing an interim trade agreement with India, showing the entire northern Union Territory, including Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), and Aksai Chin (claimed by China), as part of India, without any dotted lines, demarcations, or labels indicating it as non-disputed territory.

The move attracted significant attention on social media, highlighting Washington’s departure from its previous stand.’

Timeline of the event

Feb 7: USTR posts the map while celebrating the interim trade deal.

Feb 8–10: Social media goes viral with the “new US stance.”

Feb 11: Post deleted without a formal statement.

India’s position 

India has consistently asserted that the entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, “has been, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.” The government also affirms that Aksai Chin is an integral part of Indian territory.

India’s territorial sovereignty over Kashmir has never depended on any external validation. Nevertheless, the Washington’s acknowledgement last week was seen as a shift from its previous position by several observers.