Originally Posted by
STS-134
Then that seems to contradict your initial statement that Q2 visas are eligible. AFAIK, you can't get a RP with a Q2, and even if you did, the Q2 would get canceled as soon as you got the RP.
You can certainly get an RP with a Q2 in Shanghai. You're right that the Q2 visa will be cancelled once you receive your RP (just like a Q1 visa would be). Q1 (and other visas like it, such as the S1) is basically a scam made up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that they can impose some form of oversight over the Ministry of Public Security (who actually runs the border control as well as the entry-exit bureaus in China). Of course the MPS don't give a toss so they'll happily accept a Q2/S2.