Transit in Guangzhou Airport

I will be flying from Seoul to Guangzhou and then from Guangzhou to Paris. The time between flights is 7 hours. Upon arriving in Guangzhou I will need to go through immigration and collect baggage, and then check in again because I will be transporting a pet. Can I do this without a transit visa? I will not be leaving the airport, but I will be going from the arrivals area to the departure area after picking up my luggage. I am an American citizen. Thank you for your help.