Last Updated on February 10, 2026 5:20 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
By Devsagar Singh
In a rare diplomatic gesture, the United States has depicted Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin as Indian territories in a newly released map published by its trade department last weekend. The development has triggered widespread speculation about a possible recalibration in President Donald Trump’s geopolitical approach, with analysts viewing the move as a potential signal of closer alignment with India on sensitive territorial issues.
Though the graphic was shared by the United States trade representative (USTR) on X (formerly twitter) during announcement of the new trade agreement, it gets the seal of the administration and is, therefore, significant. Thus far, the US had officially treated the two regions as disputed territories.
So what may be the underlying reasons for doing so? The US heckles were raised when, in the aftermath of 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports, India began slowly opening its commerce with China while further cosying up to Russia. In a matter of weeks, PM Modi signed trade deals with UK and EU as well.
The American interests lie in keeping India in perpetual conflict with China. For one thing, the US can advance its anti-China agenda only through India and Indo-Pacific region. The changed map in the trade department was apparently meant to lure India into raising the Aksai Chin issue. But it could have made little sense without simultaneously raising the PoK matter. Both PoK and Aksai Chin have remained an emotive issue for India which still holds that the two regions belonged to it.
India, however, may not take the US bait. Judging by its silence so far, there is no indication that the Government would reopen the issue at this juncture. Trump has been unsteady and risky in his dealings with India during his new term thus far. It is natural that India would be cagey about reacting to sensitive moves that involve China.
New Delhi has reiterated its official position on PoK and Aksai Chin through a Parliament resolution long time ago whereby the two regions continue to be treated as Indian territories. It is another matter that no government has moved to seek a military solution.
By portraying PoK and Aksai Chin as Indian territories through a peripheral wing of the US administration, the US has also left a leeway for itself. If it had been serious, there would have been an official announcement from the State Department. So this also suggests the US is anything but serious over the matter. India is right, therefore, in its reticence.
Some experts believe that by explicitly showing a changed map through its trade department, the Trump administration has offered an additional sop in kind –all aimed at persuading India to stop Russian oil purchases. They believe Trump genuinely thinks that India is indirectly funding Russia’s war with Ukraine and that it must stop doing so for his peace plan to succeed
