"...Would the Chinese screw us? ..."

I don't think they would intentionally screw us, but I don't think they would go out of their way to assist us. They will do what is best for them. They may be more interested in oil right now, with gold something they want to tie up later. The deal with KRY may have simply been a speculative play - remember, they didn't really pay anything to get into the game. Hey, if it works, great for us; if it doesn't, no loss. That's probably why KRY's board has never put much personal dough into the company - it has always been a speculative play, all around.