Why not just play by the rules and not worry about someone taking them to a holding cell for deportation processing

@philbravery Not helpful your comment at all.

The reasons she is asking is to find out what the rules are. She cannot find any information on holding two different visa's at the same time in two seperate passports. And is not really eager to loose the current spouse visa in order to get a short term J visa, only to have to apply again for another spouse visa 6 months later.

So no need to be condenscending

If she has a 2 year multi entry "visa" based on marriage (Q1) then she'll have a resident permit. I've never heard of a case of having different visas in different passports. 

She might get away with getting the J visa in her other passport (as she'll need to apply in her home country) but they might be able to link her to the other passport. She'd need to go home and try to get the J visa approved. 

A person is only permitted to hold one valid visa. ANYTHING else is breaking the law, and would leave her subject to being fined and deported if caught.   So...  If she has to be on a J visa then she has to give up her Q visa. 

I'd say that is impossible (two valid visas in the same country) as iWolf said above.

Matter (visas) is computerised and it is easy to check if person who's applying for one visa holds already another visa.

example of RP extension/one valid visa in one passport:

My RP (valid working visa) expire on June 7th, 2017. Since I will complete the Contract (by which I got RP), I am entitled by Chinese law to receive 30-days RP extension at Exit-Entry cops (PSB).

PSB will hold my passport for new RP extension from 3-5 business days ... and will not accept my passport two weeks before current RP expiration. Why?

Because, if they return my passport with new RP extension after 5 business days, I would hold two valid visas (Resident permits) which is against the International law.

They will return my passport with only one valid visa, i.e. after replaced visa expired already.

PSB will advice to come for new RP extension not earlier than a week before present RP expiration. They will return my book few days after new RP extension validity.

Two valid passports under the same name aren't considered as 'two', but one/same person is holding two different countries passports and visas are issued by name and not by no. of passports the same person is holding.

Whatever passport / visa she entered the country with, that's her visa and needs to be changed. Pulling out the other passport would look like she entered the country illegally.
Playing dodgy passport games will only get her arrested and probably deported.

Thanks for many helpful answers. There is also some misunderstanding I think, so just wanted to clarify that. She does not intent to use both visa's at the same time. She told me she wants to 'pause' her current Q visa if she gets a J, meaning she would only use the passport with the J visa for the duration of the 6 months.

Essentially leave China on the Q visa passport, then enter (and possibly re-enter depending on her work) China on the J visa passport for the 6 month of contract, and then leave on that, and re-enter on the Q with the other passport. 

Dont really see whats being dodgy there, and we have not found any info that official info that says, one can only ever hold one visa to China.

Guess she needs to visit the PSB with her hubby and work out what can be done.

"and we have not found any info that official info that says, one can only ever hold one visa to China."

Funny. I typed 'two visas china" into a yahoo search engine, and the VERY FIRST HIT from Travelguideinchina.com states in the 2-line summary "you cannot have two concurrent visas"...

As for your situation - look at Stiggs; post above regarding timing... it would work if she left the country, got the new J visa, entered China on the J visa, and then completely ignored the spousal visa while there. Then, leave the country again, and return using the spousal visa passport...

Does this look dodgey? Ans: yes!

And, lastly, you are expecting an entire legal/immigration system to have something in place for a very rare circumstance... is NOT going to happen, or be available!

So, is it possible to get away with it? Yes. Would she? Hard to say.. depends on how common her name is, and what country she's from (ie, Jane Smith from the UK  wouldn't be noticed). Is it legal - no. And, given that journalists are very closely watched in China (ie, men in black scenario), I don't think it'd be worth the risk.

I think I know why he is asking here. Canada allows dual citizenship, China does not. I am not sure if you can carry two passports in Canada, but you cannot in China. My guess is he does not want to go to the proper authorities for fear of being thrown in jail for whatever charges the authorities fancy while they find out why he has applied for another visa while he already has a valid visa. Also, as pointed out, you can't carry two concurrent visas. If you apply under the same name I'm sure the PSB will want to know why.

Let's just get it out there. There is obviously something dodgy going on here. And shifty people like this are exactly the reason that legitimate residence for legitimate expats is a bit of a nightmare and continues to become more difficult.

So my advice is to definitely get a visa in a different passport. I for one, will be glad to see the back of any clown who by their nefarious streak makes my life more complicated than it needs to be. Yeah! I said it!!! And fuck you, M and L visa illegal workers too. I said it! I said it!