Of course, Chinese companies complain bitterly and have enough selfish Indian businesses and myopic columnists and editors who sympathize with these protestations. China Council for Promotion of International Trade secretary-general Wang Jinzhen says that “Some Chinese proposals have not been accepted in India for so-called security reasons although they were highly competitive in terms of price and quality.” Wang also says that several Chinese companies are eager to invest in India in a wide range of industries, but are discouraged by uncertainties about whether their proposals would be accepted. Citing the case of Huwawei, Wang says that the company’s proposal for a USD 60 million project is still not approved. An exasperated Wang questions the “security angle for a company putting up a bridge in an airport.”

For those who look beyond business the answers are evident. Firstly, The Chinese Government’s continued overt support to Pakistan by their Government for military, diplomatic, infrastructural, and nuclear aid is not winning any confidence with strategic watchers in India. Secondly, the lack of transparency of ownership makes India suspicious on who really owns the company. Thirdly, contracts to build ports, bridges, and infrastructure brings the Chinese into the Indian heartland in direct contact and access to Indian facilities and installations; with the ownership angle unclear, India is worried that this is an elaborate ruse by China to gather intelligence. Fourthly, as seen from the Nathu La example, an access to Chinese traders to Indian consumers does not stop there—it can permeate to handing over competitive advantage to markets in Bangladesh and Myanmar. Fifthly, there is unchecked counterfeiting of Indian brands in China and those fake brands are competing with Indian brands and affecting Indian businesses.

Therefore, it is disingenuous to argue that India is restricting trade, business, and investment from China. It is China that is stopping better bilateral relations through hostile action.