I'm glad you're getting a second opinion AJR. I really hate that doctors push a c-section for an issue that is relatively normal. To hear Chinese doctors tell it, childbirth is just an emergency waiting to happen, not a perfectly natural thing that has been happening since the beginning of mankind. To hear them tell it, it is really nothing short of a miracle that the human race hasn't died out yet! You might hear the same thing at the new hospital, but at least you'll have tried.
I had two winter babies (well, my son was technically late Autumn, plus he was born in Kunming where there are no real seasons anyhow) so I'm no real help there but also, I'm lucky in that because I'm the foreigner AND the mom, I ultimately didn't have to listen to any of that Chinese superstitious ridiculousness if I didn't want to. I did agree to do the "no going outside for a month" thing with my first because it was important to my husband, but with my second I disregarded all of that.
Is it possible that you could print out some info about SIDS for your wife and convince her that in the middle of the summer, not overheating the baby is a real concern? If there isn't going to be any AC, make sure the baby isn't overdressed. Also make sure, no blankets in the crib -- get some of those sleep-sacks that they sell, if there's any need for covering at all. Encourage your wife to breastfeed if she can, since that supposedly helps protect against SIDS. Using a pacifier can help too. Always put the baby to sleep on the back too, and, especially if you're going to be in a hot, unairconditioned house, it is probably best the baby have its own place to sleep, as sleeping with you and your wife could be too much body heat.
Chinese people all have this fear of AC and it drives me nuts (even my husband gripes about turning on the AC, claiming it is basically going to kill him, but in the summer I can't sleep without it). Perhaps you could convince her to keep it on but at a really low setting, 24 or 25? Or keep track of the temperature in your house and agree that you'll regulate the temperature so that it doesn't go above X? Somehow you have to convince your wife that keeping your baby safe from overheating is more important than her superstition about being killed by the air conditioning.