apaluch

I need some serious help...

We just found out we can only get a two-entry Chinese tourist visa after booking a trip that goes London-Beijing-Xi'an-Hong Kong-Shanghai-Japan-Beijing-London.

One of our entries would be the first, and the second would be from Hong Kong to Shanghai. But then we're possibly going to have trouble re-entering China to fly back to London because we're flying China Eastern Flight 272 (MU272) and it touches down in Shanghai on the way to Beijing.

Beijing Capital airport allows you to stay in Beijing for 72 hours (as of January of this year) if you're flying to a third country (which we are). But if you go through passport control at Shanghai Pu Dong you can also stay for 72 hours without a visa, BUT you have to stay in Shanghai.

Basically, China's making life extremely difficult. From what I can find out about this flight, it merely "touches down" in Shanghai and I'm still waiting to hear back from the airline about whether or not we need to clear passport control in Shanghai, but my experience in every other country is that if you touch down in the country and then continue on within that country, you have to clear customs and immigration at the first point you touch down.

Has anyone ever flown on MU272?

And then, worst case scenario, does anyone have any idea how a Canadian residing in the UK can obtain a Chinese visa in Japan?

Thanks!

Alexis