Hi, I am an American flying from Japan to Los Angeles, with a nine hour layover in Beijing. I have friends in Beijing I would love to see during those nine hours. Air China told me to just check my luggage to Beijing, go through customs, go with my friends around Beijing and then return to the airport, without a visa since I will be there such a short time. But the Chinese immigration, seemed to think I have to go thru a travel agent to get a visa, though they speak no English, and I speak no Chinese, and a friend who speaks only limited English was "translating." Thus I'm not sure everything was communicated clearly. Can I go out with my friends, or can they come to the airport to visit me? If I can't go out, do they need anything special to visit me?