Trump administration deletes trade post showing PoK, Aksai Chin within India

The Trump administration has removed a social media post announcing a trade deal with India that included a map showing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin as part of Indian territory. As of Wednesday, the post was no longer visible on the U.S. Trade Representative’s official X account and the stands had been deleted.

The deletion came after days of speculation about whether the map reflected a policy change in Washington’s stance on disputed areas or was an inadvertent error. ET Online has independently confirmed that the original post is no longer available on the platform.

The map, shared with the trade deal announcement last week, attracted attention as it marked a departure from previous US representations that typically showed PoK with a distinct border to reflect sensitivities linked to Pakistan’s claims.
The incident had sparked debate among observers over whether the depiction signaled a recalibration in US-India relations or merely a technical oversight. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office appears to have put an end to the direct discussion by removing the post entirely, without making a public statement.

Washington has historically eschewed cartographic representations that could be read as endorsing one party’s claim to disputed territories in South Asia, generally favoring neutral or clearly demarcated borders in official communications.