They usually can have a speed control cable attached to them, or just a short piece of wire with a loop on the end, or a knob on the end of the bottom bell crank itself. The choke can be manual, automatic or coupled to the speed control like your edger engine. In most cases you can fit a remote speed control cable quite easily if it doesn't have one. The choke may be a different story - if it is manual I think it will have to stay manual.
Incidentally, Briggs describe the engine as horizontal or vertical depending on the way the crankshaft runs, not the cylinder. Your 91212 is a horizontal crankshaft engine - nothing vertical about it.
I've only seen and specifically heard about vertical crankshaft engines being made in China, and I thought they started a couple of years after yours was made, so I wouldn't doubt the Briggs guy's statements to you. I don't know what the 7FA means, though.
