but the Chinese with the possibility of owning 51% of two tenements looks to me that it locks them in to a long term holding as a cornerstone position
you say:
"Hence a takeover of MCO was not possible without the agreement of the Garlings (or just NG alone)"
my view is that a takeover of MCO would have been be quite possible and that the Garlings were not holding enough to resist a determined effort by Kal interests