How do you list the exact date if one is not known for a visit to China?

Hi, Susan, I never heard about "30 day window" too. I heard a friend said that only passport,V2011A visa application form and one recent photo are needed to apply a L visa in US. You do not need to provide your plane tickets. Since you are unsure of the Exact date of entry and exit, you can just fill a probable date in 2.3(Date of your first entry) and a probable duration in 2.4(Your longest intended stay amony all entries of your intended visit in China) on the application form. When you purchase your plane tickets, you can buy tickets whose dates do not need to be along with the 2.3 and 2.4. So do not worry about this, just make sure you enter China within the validity date of your visa.