India, April 12 -- One of the gaping holes in our security framework is the inability to combine national security goals with economic concerns. The key beneficiary of this lapse is China.

Contrary to popular belief driven by "free markets advocates", India is absolutely right in preventing China's electric vehicle major BYD from making significant investments into the country. Indian commerce minister Piyush Goyal has recently said that despite pressure from within and outside, the Indian government would not allow BYD's proposed $1 billion investment. Investment proposals from both BYD and Great Wall Motors, both China-based automobile companies, were rejected in 2023.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) plays a critical role in the econo...