US trade office deletes map showing PoK and Aksai Chin as part of India after triggering debate

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has pulled down a social media post that featured a map of India depicting Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin firmly within Indian boundaries.

The map, uploaded last week to highlight Washington’s latest trade agreement with New Delhi, raised eyebrows for what many saw as a sharp departure from long-standing American cartographic practice.

The map notably omitted the usual demarcation of PoK that US government agencies have historically used to reflect Pakistan’s claims over the region. Instead, the now-deleted graphic showed the entire territory as part of India -- an unusual shift that prompted widespread speculation about whether the move was inadvertent or signalled a subtle recalibration in US positioning amid a broader reset in bilateral ties.

With the post disappearing from USTR’s official X account, the debate was effectively closed without any clarification from Washington.

The map also placed Aksai Chin, an area in northeastern Ladakh that China continues to claim, in Indian territory. This depiction stood out given Beijing’s consistent objections and India’s firm stance on its sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir, including Aksai Chin. New Delhi has frequently raised concerns with the US State Department and other global agencies over inaccurate or partial representations of Indian borders, including those of Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.

The controversy emerged just as India and the US moved to smoothen trade frictions that had persisted for years. Both sides recently agreed to lower tariffs, bringing duties on Indian goods down from 50 per cent to 18 per cent—the lowest rate the US currently levies on any Asian nation. Officials on both sides have described the shift as an opening for renewed economic cooperation.