Entered China through CAN airport using the automatic gate yesterday and it worked OK, but had problems with the staff there insisting that the gates were only for Chinese and physically trying to block me from going to the auto gates.
In the end they let me through and were shocked (as in literally gasping with surprise) when the gates opened for me.

Moral: don't let the staff at the airports see the passport you're carrying, just take it out once you get to the auto gate.