New requirements for fingerprints?

No, definitely not. When you travel on visa free transit, you are fingerprinted upon arrival and when you apply for a visa in advance, you will be fingerprinted at the relevant agency or consulate and even upon your arrival in China. In reality, having or not having a Chinese visa obtained in advance, if your itinerary is eligible as well as your citizenship, you can enjoy this option unlimited times. Actually, I'm not sure if this was the kind of answer you were looking for!?