Originally Posted by
UAConcorde
Passengers are to cover the room and board cost out of pocket by ourselves at a rate of 450 CNY per night !
It seems you are "staying and paying," but as others have noted, third party bookings don't qualify.
Your only hope would be to replace the pre-arranged booking with your own booking — but that's probably not possible. If it is possible, you could see there's qualifying rate you could pay. And if the rate you can get on your own is higher, the limited benefits, points, and elite qualifying nights might not be worth the premium. You're dealing with unusual circumstances, and you're in China, so it might be better just to do what they want you to do.