CHINA VISAS - REPLY TO PAUL'S OCT 3 QUESTION

I may have misread too. Hong Kong > Shanghai > Tianjin > Anywhere, does not qualify for 72/144 transit without visa. Hong Kong, which is a special administration region, is not considered China for immigration purposes. The problem is if you arrive in Shanghai and depart from Tianjin you are limited to the 24 hour direct transit so your departure from Tianjin must be less than 24 hours from scheduled arrival in Shanghai. Unlike the single stop 72/144 hour transit that starts next day, 24 hour transit is to the minute.