Now that the dust has pretty much settled in my case (I say "pretty much" because I still need to report to my overlooker frequently, something I can handle), I want add a few more thoughts. Please realize that I only have ONE personal data point, but my comments incorporate the wisdom of others who are far more experienced.

-Definitely fly to Shanghai. It doesn't matter whether or not you like Shanghai because you won't actually see it. The reason Shanghai is a better option than Beijing, Shenzhen, Xi'an, etc is because the 14 days thing is pretty much set in stone
-There is a small catch to "set in stone"; 14 = 21 if you don't provide them a Shanghai address; this is a pickle that I didn't foresee
-ideally, we should give them a residential address, but --if this isn't an option-- book a friendly +7 hotel. You will have a lot of time to pull off this task during days 1-4