Chinese visa in Uzbekistan

please note that this information dates from last june (2012). I thought I had posted it then, but I must have forgotten. I hope it is still useful:

China is a bit more of a farce though not all that difficult if you know what you're doing. The only problem with getting it in tashkent is that you have to enter within 30 days of receiving the visa, so if you plan to travel in tajikistan and kyrgyzstan for longer than that time it's no good. If you can make it to china within 30 days here is what you need:

• you are not travelling overland or to western china, you are flying to beijing / pekin etc from tashkent and staying in a hotel. you are not travelling to any other country before china.
• flight booking, this can be done for no fee at china southern travel agency in borakat center next to kasmanatvli metro and is automatically cancelled after some time if you don't pay. make sure your out going flight is from uzbekistan and the flight date is within the limits of your uzbek visa. a flight back out of china could help also but is not essential. also make sure they stamp your reservation. could be useful to ask for a copy for each traveller as you will all be seen individually.
• hotel booking. www.booking.com gives you access to many hotels which you can book and cancel for no fee. i am told some don't ask for credit card details. check what you book carefully cause some might charge a cancellation fee.
• proof of employment, a letter on headed paper form your company (real or imaginary) should be enough.
• bank statement
• 2 photos to very exacting standards, these can be made round the corner from emabssy. If you are walking out of embassy turn right and take the first right go as far as the next crossroads. the photos are done in a little kiosk on the opposite corner from which you are arriving. be sure to ask for a white background I figured they knew what they were doing but was told that the light background on my photo could be a problem (in the event there were other problems with my form mainly that my flight was outwith the dates of my uzbek visa and i decided i wanted to try later to have more time in tajik/kyrgyz)
• photocopies of photo page of passport and uzbek visa
• there is no law on the pavement outside of emabassies and the chinese one is a particularly busy one so be prepared to stand your ground if you want to be seen at all. and turn up early as they do turn people away if they don't have time to see them before 12. opening times are 9-12 monday wednesday and friday. visas can be picked up on monday to friday, on whatever day you have paid for ($100 for next day, $80 for 2-3 working days, $60 for 4 working days) be wary that the embassy will close for chinese holidays.