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All,

Would appreciate your thoughts/solutions on the following. I'm having issues getting a Chinese visa issued in the Netherlands (US expat living here) due to what I'm being told are temporary restrictions in place due to the G20 summit (they've refused to accept my passport because it was issued after 1 January 2014 and I don't have my old passport with me). While I am hopeful I can reapply next week once the G20 is over, they weren't able to produce any written policy so I could confirm how long this would last...they literally told me the only way one would know about this was to visit the visa center and to be told and then told me I should "try to come back after 8 September".

Anyhow, as a back-up plan (given I've got non-refundable tickets booked now) I was hoping to apply for the 144 hour TWOV visa. My current Itinerary is booked on Cathay AMS-HKG-PVG (7 day stay) PVG-HKG-AMS which obviously doesn't qualify for the TWOV. I'm wondering if I can book myself a short overnight to Macau (or another destination if there are suggestions) just before I take my return flight home. Would this work? Itinerary would look something like the following:

AMS-HKG-PVG (6 day stay in Shangahai)
PVG-MFM (1 night stay in Macau)
MFM-PVG-HKG-AMS (return home with approx 4 hour layover in PVG)

PVG-MFM-PVG would be on a separate carrier.

My main questions:

1) Is this technically within the TWOV rules?
2) Even if it is technically within the rules, how likely am I to encounter issues boarding with Cathay? Amsterdam is a major international airport and I would imagine Cathay would have agents as experience as possible in this sort of thing, but unsure what others think. Anything I should have other than the TIMATIC and confirmed ticket to Macau?
4) How likely am I to encounter issues on arrival in Shanghai? Anything I should be sure to have other than my confirmed ticket and hotel reservation for Macau?
3) Any suggestions on locations I might overnight other than Macau (looks like I can get a roundtrip for about $200 USD).
4) Anyone have any experience pleading with Cathay for some flexibility due to visa issues? I would love to not return back to PVG from Macau and just hop over to HKG and catch my direct flight home...but as you know this technically would be a change in ticket (which isn't allowed for my ticket type).

Many thanks for any thoughts.