Joe Ga didn't talk much with Old Chen and Uncle Qing...
Old Chen had his own responsibilities, and Uncle Qing's men needed to support their families; they couldn't simply abandon the assets they had acquired at Joe Ga's word and pull out.
With the frequent turnover of personnel within the Liberian government, if you can't finalize your footing early and leave undeniable evidence, those people might just turn their backs and deny everything later.
Just having an agreement isn't enough; neither is a bare piece of land. If they later deny your claim and point you to another piece of land, you've got no recourse.
First get the ground hardened and build the buildings, then hoist the national flag and take pictures. No matter how the Liberian government changes after that, they'll have to consider the cost of breaking a contract. After all, breaking a contract and reneging are not the same, and China isn't really that easy to talk to sometimes.
