I will be arriving with my family in Shanghai July 2 in the afternoon

and leaving for Bangkok on July 3 before noon. I assume I can use the 72 hour visa free transit.

We will then fly from Bankok to Beijing two weeks later on the 16th and stay until the 28th in China. We fly to Hong Kong on the 28th and then back to shanghai on the 2nd of august. We start working in PRC on August 2nd and our employer is getting work Z types.

What Kind of entry permit should I be getting for our stay in china from the 16th-28th (which is all touring around, no working)? Can I get that in the USA before we leave to head to Asia? Does our employer need to be involved in this particular visa application?