Regarding spousal visa for someone like me who is older than 60, I just renewed in Kunming and the term was for for 2 years. I applied in late March and received it two weeks later in early April (the previous renewal in 2018 took 4 weeks). I asked about a longer term but was told not available. They said apply for Chinese green card if you want longer term.

I encountered a problem stemming from renewing my passport last fall. Had to make a trip to the US Consulate in Chengdu, really glad I got it done before the corona virus hit in January.

Anyway, back in December when I received the new pp, I immediately went to my local police station to register it. What I didn't realize is that you also have to register a new passport with PSB on Tuodong Road.

The day after I applied for the new visa (in late March), I got a phone call from the police saying I was in violation for not reporting to PSB. I reported to the station as requested and was asked to sign a statement in Chinese which I didn't understand. A family member said it indicated I was in violation of the law. The policeman was cordial and said due to the lockdown situation, I was to receive a warning but no fine would be imposed. Was thankful for that, since more than three months had elapsed since I had received the new passport. I never did find out how long the grace period is to report a new passport to PSB on Tuodong Road.

In the CNN article...

"A digital epidemic prevention 'sky net' is rolling out on a full-scale with the Chinese speed," the Xinhua report said.

Sky Net. The rogue cybersystem that threatens to annihalate humanity in the Terminator film series. Referenced by the official Chinese media outlet.

!!

I rode the Kunming subway today, registering manually. I saw an old Chinese man doing same. Not sure what his situation was.

So, color code is not an absolute requirement. Took five minutes to register so it is definitely inconvenient without code.

I started at the information booth where I explained to the agent that my phone, an older vintage, does not handle QR codes. He asked for a local residence permit. I provided my Kunming permit which was satisfactory (don't know if a permit from elsewhere in Yunnan would pass muster). He walked me to the gate and explained the situation to the temperature checker.

After passing through I stopped at the registration table where they wrote down info from a photocopy that I carry with me (I did have my passport on me in case they insisted on seeing it). They took note of the entry stamp into China from last year. They also wrote down my phone number.

Part of the delay was taking my temperature in various body locations. They tried a dozen times but it always read "Lo". I explained it's because I sweat a lot in the sun and my skin was cool underground.

As of last few days, foreigners living in Kunming can take city buses and enter parks by showing passport in lieu of snapping a QR code. What about the Kunming subway? Without the QR code/questionaire/color code, are foreigners allowed/forbidden to enter the subway? Any other venues where QR/Q/CC is required for entry?

Received email from U.S. State Department today:

"The Department of State has upgraded our Travel Advisory for

China to Level 4: Do Not Travel due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei province.

Those currently in China should attempt to depart by commercial means."
...
"We strongly urge U.S. citizens remaining in China to stay home as much as possible and limit contact with others, including large gatherings. Consider stocking up on food and other supplies to limit movement outside the home.

U.S. citizens remaining in China should follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Chinese health authorities’ guidance for prevention, signs and symptoms, and treatment (www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html)."
...

I see the State Department urged citizens to leave in an advisory posted on February 8. Message here:

china.usembassy-china.org.cn/[...]