question: is firb a furphy

i begin to wonder how or why or if the FIRB are involved at all. the Chinese ar not trying to buy into the company (as the examples recently given involve, or as shell was trying to buy woodside). they are apparently proposing to enter the permits as joint venture partners, albeit for the consideration of payment. there are oil companies from the UK, USA, France, Italy, India and so on doing exactly that without any hassles. and they are all free to, and are actively encouraged to, apply for new acreage as it becomes available via gazettal. and shell bought into the nexus permits (Crux) in the same knd of transaction, so what is different here? very curious.