Batgung

Since 28 March 2008, China has clamped down on multi-entry visas for foreign residents:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/08/asia/visa.php

I travel to China several times a week for work as well as pleasure, and during the summer the kids usually go to summer manadarin programs in Shenzhen every day. We have always had multi-entry visas for all four family members, but our current 6-12 months visas all expire in June-July. Getting 2-entry visas at US$130 a pop is not going to work well for us! Supposedly the restriction will last until 17 October 2008. I'm trying to find out from my travel agent if there are any exceptions, but I have so far been told there are not. We are all US citizens, but HK residents. Two questions:

1. Anybody know of ways of getting around this with letters from work/school that have definitely worked to get multi-entry China visas?

2. My impression to date is that this is limited to HK. Anybody know if trying to get the multi-entry China visa in the US or elsewhere would work?

Thanks for your thoughts on this!

Nathan