Guatemalan Citizen in transit in China

Hi.
I have a relative Guatemalan citizen traveling to Tokyo but has a layover in China for 16 hours and he is planning of staying in a hotel in Shanghai.
Does anyone knows if he will need Chinese visa for less that 24hrs?
The airline told us he doesn't need visa. And 2 different Chinese consulates said yes he does, and then they say to ask the airline. So we are very confused and don't know what to do.
Any info will help.
Thanks