AN ACR MD11 FLC WAS ASSIGNED AN ALT BELOW THE MSA FOR THAT AREA BY TWO DIFFERENT CTLRS. THE FLC WAS AWARE OF THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN AND REFUSED THE ASSIGNMENTS.

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CLRED FOR STAR VMB 1A ARR TO RWY 18. SHORTLY AFTER VMB; APPROX 15 DME E RECEIVED CLRNC TO DSND TO 450 METERS. SINCE THIS IS BELOW THE SECTOR SAFE ALT SPECIFIED ON THE AREA CHART OF 800 METERS I QUESTIONED ATC AS TO WHETHER THEY MEANT TO DSND IMMEDIATELY OR AT SOME POINT ON THE ARR. THEY SAID IMMEDIATELY. ATC ALSO SAID TO KEEP SPD UP TO 350 KTS AS WE WERE HIGH FOR THE APCH. ASKED FOR VERIFICATION THAT THE 250 KT SPD RESTR BELOW 10000 FT WAS REMOVED. THEY INDICATED THAT IT WAS REMOVED. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG I CALLED THE TWR ON THE PHONE TO DISCUSS THE CLRNCS. THE INDIVIDUAL I SPOKE WITH INDICATED THAT 450 METERS WAS THEIR MINIMUM VECTORING ALT AND THAT IT WAS OK TO DSND TO THAT ALT AT THE POINT AT WHICH I RECEIVED THE CLRNC. I EXPRESSED TO THEM MY DISPLEASURE WITH THIS CLRNC SINCE NONE OF THE APCH PLATES OR THE AREA CHART INDICATE THAT 450 METERS IS A SAFE ALT. SHANGHAI TWR INDICATED THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL CLRNC FOR THEM TO ISSUE. UPON RECEIVING OUR DEP CLRNC WE WERE TOLD TO LEVEL OFF AT 450 METERS. I REFUSED THIS SINCE THE A599 CORRIDOR FROM WB TO SX HAS A TERRAIN CLRNC MINIMUM ALT OF 893 METERS. AFTER ISSUING 6 ALTS (5 OF WHICH I REFUSED DUE TO TERRAIN CLRNC ISSUES); I ACCEPTED A FINAL ALT OF 9600 METERS. DEP WAS UNEVENTFUL. SIGNIFICANT COM ERRORS EXISTED IN PART DUE TO THE DIFFERENCES IN LANGUAGE. SUGGEST ENCOURAGING SHANGHAI TO ISSUE PROPER CLRNCS TO AGREE WITH CHART MINIMUM ALTS OR CHANGE THE APPROPRIATE COMMERCIAL CHARTS TO REFLECT ACTUAL PROCS FOR SHANGHAI.