That's interesting, because recently China is definitely trying to paint themselves as the reasonable, stable partner, commited to upholding international law (unlike the US, which is ruled by a madman) . Trying to block this aquisition without good legal argument goes directly against that strategy.

I mean, they're just cribbing what America did, and what the British Empire did before that.

It's a disgusting playbook, but it's also an effective one if you're a state trying to exert control over important players or entities.