Mapping Mischief

There is elation-cum-commotion in India with the Donald Trump administration releasing a map showing Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) and Aksai Chin integral parts of India. Jamieson Greer, the US Trade Representative (USTR) shared the map on X while announcing the framework for an interim trade agreement between the US and India. With earlier US maps showing POK and Aksai Chin disputed territories, the new map is viewed as strategic support to New Delhi, India being important to America’s pivot to the Indo-Pacific. And, at the same time, messaging this to China and Pakistan.

But the Trump administration simultaneously went out of its way to woo Pakistan: orchestrating the Saudi Arabia-Pakistan Defence Arrangement (SPDA); crypto-currency deal to benefit Trump’s family; Pakistani support for operations against Iran; oil and rare mineral deals; tackling Gaza; possible US drones / troop base in Pakistan; regime change in Bangladesh.  

As for China, Trump has indicated he would visit Beijing in April. America’s new National Security Strategy terms China primary economic and strategic competitor not a threat; rebalance economic relations and strengthen Indo-Pacific alliances. Trump would be aware that the US cannot easily decouple from China due to deep economic, technological, and supply chain interdependencies developed over decades, making separation costly and complex. China remains a massive market and source of goods, with trade often just rerouted through third countries rather than eliminated, to maintain dependence.  Where China has been claiming foreign territories to legitimize its illegal claims, the West has been dividing regions to establish time-hallowed hotspots, furthering its interests; division of undivided India, Durand Line dividing Pakistan and Afghanistan, division of Germany, the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, and the like.

British barrister Cyril Radcliffe arrived in British India for the first time on July 8, 1947; given five weeks to draw the borders between an independent India and newly created Pakistan.  With two boundary commissions, the resulting boundary award was announced on August 17. He sailed back to England the next day. Partition along the Radcliffe Line ended in violence that killed one million plus people and displaced 12 million.

Until 1967-70, maps by Pakistan, UN and other global atlases depicted the India-Pakistan Ceasefire Line (CFL) correctly. But in 1967, the US Defense Mapping Agency began showing the Indo-Pak boundary on Tactical Pilotage Charts from NJ 9842 to the Karakoram (KK) Pass without justification / documentation, cartographically giving entire Siachen-Saltoro area to Pakistan. Many official-private cartographers and atlas producers followed suit and Pakistan eventually started claiming this as the boundary. This was deliberate mapping mischief by the US.

The new map released by the US possibly aimed at indicating    that India requested this as part of the trade negotiations; and draw a deeper wedge in India-China relations, where China already views India in the US camp. Delegation visit by the Communist Party of China (CCP) to the BJP and RSS headquarters in New Delhi may have also prompted this US move. India-China bilateral trade reached a record high of USD 155.6 billion in FY 2025, marking a 12% increase from the previous year, with India's trade deficit with China reaching a record high of approximately USD 116 billion in 2025. China rejects the 1914 McMahon Line as an illegal product of British imperialism. Some Chinese scholars term the McMahon Line as the McDonald’s Line – same way some guys refer to Donald Trump as Donald Duck.

As for the new map showing POK integral to India, during his first presidency, Trump first offered to mediate on Kashmir between India and Pakistan during Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Washington in July 2019. He reiterated the same in September 2019 after meeting Imran Khan on the sidelines UNGA in New York, and then later again at the White House, claiming that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate on Kashmir (https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/trump-offers-to-mediate-between-india-and-pakistan-on-kashmir/article28660299.ece). All this was after Modi canvassed for Trump’s election on US soil at a political event attended by more than 50,000 people in Houston, with Trump sharing the stage and Modi calling Ab ki Bar Trump Sarkar (next government will be Trump’s). With India-Pakistan tensions heightening after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, followed by the three-day India-Pakistan conflict, where Trump claimed he brokered the ceasefire, again offering to mediate on Kashmir.

In a recent development on February 11, 2026,  Jamieson Greer, the USTR has deleted his post on X with the new map that showed POK and Aksai Chin integral to India.

The interim trade agreement between the US and India has generated furious debate. One analyst says India’s obligations are immediate, quantified and subject to formal monitoring, while American “concessions” are largely conditional, reversible or simply corrective, including a partial rollback of penalties Washington had imposed unilaterally in 2025…. The USTR and the White House frame India as a “market” to be unlocked rather than a strategic partner.

The Indian government is celebrating US tariffs brought down to 18% from the 50% that Trump had threatened. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal earlier said the trade deal would be signed by November 2025. But the actual deal, when signed (April 2026?) will reveal what American products (including farm products) will enter India with zero duty. Meanwhile, it is amusing to see Goyal joking with US Ambassador Sergie Gor that he would have probably won the match if the reciprocal tariffs were 0%.

Trump’s actions will continue impinging on India’s economy. For example, with 19% tariffs on Bangladesh textiles, Trump says if Bangladesh buys raw material from the US, it can export textiles to the US at 0% duty.  Bangladesh imports approximately USD 3.5 billion worth of textiles and raw materials annually from India, with cotton and yarn comprising nearly USD 1.8 billion of that total. India is a top supplier of cotton, providing around 12–14 lakh bales recently, as well as cotton yarn and manmade fibre yarn to support Bangladesh's garment industry. If Bangladesh gets raw material from the US, its garment will have 0% duty in America compared to India’s 18%.

More amusing is the furtive musical chairs being played by Goyal, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on the question of Russian oil import, which the US will monitor. Russian oil import of USD 2.7 billion (lowest ever) in December 2025 indicated India readying to play ball to Trump. Instead of inserting in the media that India will ensure energy security for the 1.4 billion population, India will only import top quality oil and our oil reserves can last 74 days, the government should simply announce that since 50% tariffs would harm our economy considerably, the decision to stop Russian oil imports is in the national interest. In December 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the US of using the Ukraine conflict as a pretext to target India-Russia relations, specifically tariffs on Indian oil imports from Russia.

Whether India still buys a small quantity of Russian oil or not, the fact remains that the US is “influencing” India’s energy security, with the White House strictly monitoring India‘s energy imports. Henceforth, India will be paying much more for importing energy, that too in dollars. Russia is not the loser because China is increasing its purchase of discounted Russian oil to make up for what India was importing, thereby benefiting economically and consolidating Beijing’s influence in Moscow. The overall fallout will be a setback to the Russia-India-China (RIC) Dialogue. The forthcoming BRICS Summit under India’s presidency can be expected to focus on issues like zero tolerance against terrorism in all its form, reorganization of United Nations/UNSC, cooperation for betterment of humanity, environmental protection, and the like, with no mention of BRICS currency and alternative to the SWIFT system. 

Most pathetic is ‘yes men’ justifying reducing/stopping Russian oil imports because the Soviet Union didn’t deter China from invading India in 1962, fearing it would weaken the Soviet bloc (https://www.defencexp.com/what-went-wrong-deciphering-sino-india-1962-war/#:~:text=SOVIET%20UNION%20RESPONSE,on%20Soviet%20arms%20and%20technology). Not acknowledging Russian support to India in 1971; US aircraft carrier parked in the Indian Ocean and British flotilla approaching the Arabian Sea forced to retreat when Russian submarines surfaced in their path? What about Russia’s solid support to India throughout?

Public debate on tariffs and duties will continue until the final trade deal is signed. Trump’s statement that he does not want to destroy the political career of Modi is also in public domain.

This couldn’t be about Epstein Files - India didn’t even take cognizance of the Panama Papers leak that jolted many countries including Pakistan. It wouldn’t be about a US court summons to Gautam Adani either, this being a trivial issue for Trump. What is it then if not the threat of 50% tariffs, with Trump planning to link the 25% additional tariffs for Russian oil imports also to Indo-Russian defence cooperation/defence deals. Incidentally, BJP member and former Member Parliament Subramanian Swamy asserts China and America have something on Modi, with which they blackmail him. None have challenged or sued Swamy for saying so.

Controversy about the book ‘Four Star Destiny’ is boiling hot. The author and the publisher have issued statements that the book has not been published. A new surprising statement by the publisher says the “published” book is not the same as the “unpublished” one, without amplifying dissimilarities. When the excerpts of the book papered in media in 2023, it was said that the book will be published anyway since the publisher is based abroad. The moot question is who would have access to the script for making a pdf version other than the publisher, publishing staff, or the author?  Delhi Police is investigating how the pdf version of the book is on the internet and whatsapp, which may have been read by hundreds/thousands.  India has some 958 million active internet users and over 1.12 billion active cellular mobile connections. Why not then allow publication of the book and let the public dissect what inhibits India in confronting China and whether or not a political redline is necessary?

Trump has again reiterated brokering ceasefire between India and Pakistan, adding that 10 planes were shot down, without mentioning which planes were shot down and which countries they belonged to (https://www.wionews.com/world/10-planes-shot-down-donald-trump-s-data-on-india-pakistan-conflict-now-revised-1770824153852). Is this because India isn’t buying the F-35s or to derail India buying the French Rafales? Jaishankar’s visit to Sergie Gor’s residence was probably to request Trump should tone down his rhetoric. After all, India has gone for the Predator UAVs despite five shot down by the Houthi. The White House has since revised its script to say India “intends” to buy over USD 500 billion of US products, instead of India having “committed” to do so. USD 500 billion is 1/6th of India’s GDP and it is unclear in what time period India is expected to buy US products over USD 500 billion – within Trump’s second presidency?

The author is an Indian Army veteran. Views expressed are personal.