By Krishna Dua 
Aksai Chin Controversy: US Deletes Post After India
A minor but diplomatically sensitive controversy erupted between India and the United States in early February 2026 when the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the US Embassy in New Delhi posted a graphic that depicted Aksai Chin as part of China. The image, part of a routine post celebrating 75 years of India–US diplomatic relations, was removed within hours following a strong protest from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. The episode, though brief, reignited long-standing sensitivities over cartographic depictions of disputed territories and tested the maturity of one of the world’s most important strategic partnerships.
The Post That Sparked the Row
On the evening of 8 February 2026, the US Embassy in India shared a celebratory graphic on X with the caption:
“75 years of partnership, shared values, and endless possibilities. From defence to tech, from space to health—India and the US are building a brighter future together.”
The accompanying image showed a stylised map of India that included the entire territory up to the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh but shaded Aksai Chin in the same colour as the rest of China. No boundary line, dotted or otherwise, was marked to indicate the dispute. Within minutes Indian users flagged the map and tagged the Ministry of External Affairs.
By 9:30 p.m. IST on 8 February, the post had been widely circulated on Indian social media with angry captions such as “US Embassy map shows Aksai Chin as China” and “Even our strategic partner can’t get our map right.”
India’s Swift and Firm Response
The Ministry of External Affairs acted quickly. Late on 8 February, a senior official from the US Embassy was summoned to South Block and handed a formal démarche. The Indian position was conveyed in clear terms:
- Aksai Chin is an integral and inalienable part of India
- Any depiction to the contrary is unacceptable
- Such errors undermine the reality on the ground and India’s sovereign claim
On the morning of 9 February, the Ministry issued a short official statement:
“India’s position on Aksai Chin is clear, consistent and well-known. It is an integral part of the Union of India. Any depiction to the contrary is unacceptable. We have taken up the matter with the US side and the post has since been removed.”
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, addressing a press interaction later that day, said:
“We have excellent ties with the United States. Such incidents are usually inadvertent. But maps matter. Our sovereignty is non-negotiable. The US side has understood our position.”
US Embassy’s Silent Correction
The embassy did not issue any public statement, apology or clarification. The post was simply deleted sometime between midnight and 4 a.m. IST on 10 February. A cached screenshot continued to circulate on Indian social media, keeping the controversy alive for another 24–36 hours.
When asked by international correspondents in Washington on 9 February, the US State Department spokesperson declined to comment, stating only:
“The embassy manages its own social-media accounts in accordance with US policy. We value our partnership with India.”
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi on 9 February, offered the closest thing to an official response:
“We value our partnership with India. Cartographic representations are sometimes inconsistent across agencies. The important thing is the substance of our relationship.”
Historical Context of Aksai Chin Depictions
Aksai Chin, a high-altitude desert region of approximately 38,000 sq km, has been administered by China since the early 1950s. India claims the entire area as part of Ladakh district in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. The 1962 India–China war was fought largely over control of Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh.
The United States has historically maintained a neutral position on the sovereignty of Aksai Chin, treating it as a disputed territory. In most official US maps and statements, Aksai Chin is either left unmarked or shown with a dotted line indicating the dispute. The 8 February graphic was an outlier that deviated from standard US cartographic practice.
Similar incidents have occurred in the past:
- In 2019, the US State Department briefly used a map showing Arunachal Pradesh as part of China in a South Asia overview; the error was corrected within hours after Indian protest
- In 2023, a US Department of Defense publication included a map that shaded Aksai Chin as Chinese territory; the PDF was quietly replaced after MEA raised the issue
- In 2024, a US Geological Survey map used in a climate-change report showed Aksai Chin as Chinese; the map was withdrawn after Indian diplomatic note
Broader India–US Relations in Early 2026
The map controversy is widely viewed as a minor irritant in an otherwise robust bilateral relationship. Key developments in January–February 2026 include:
- Successful inaugural 2+2 ministerial dialogue in New Delhi (January 2026)
- Signing of a new 10-year defence framework extending military cooperation
- US approval for the sale of 31 MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones to India
- Joint statement reaffirming support for freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific
- Agreement to deepen iCET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology) cooperation in semiconductors, quantum computing and AI
- Expanded logistics agreement allowing mutual use of military bases and refuelling facilities
Both governments have deliberately downplayed the map issue, choosing quiet resolution over public escalation.
Conclusion
The deletion of the US Embassy post depicting Aksai Chin as part of China has brought a swift end to what could have become a prolonged diplomatic row. India’s rapid but calibrated response—combined with the US decision to remove the graphic without public comment—suggests both sides recognised the incident as an inadvertent error rather than a deliberate provocation.
The episode serves as a reminder that cartographic depictions remain highly sensitive in India–China relations and that even close strategic partners like the United States can occasionally produce inconsistencies. In the larger context of deepening India–US ties across defence, technology, trade and Indo-Pacific security, the Aksai Chin map controversy is likely to remain a minor footnote rather than a defining moment.
As both countries move forward with ambitious cooperation agendas, the focus will remain on substance—joint exercises, technology transfers, supply-chain resilience and countering common challenges—rather than stray graphics on social media.