applying for chinese visa if US citizen but no french visa

Hi,
I'm an American student, and I'll be studying in Paris for all of July, and then going directly to China. I don't have a chinese visa, and it says above that in order to apply for one while in Paris, I need a French visa or French residence permit. Because I'm a student, and you don't need a visa to enter France from the US, I have neither of these documents. Will I still be able to apply for a chinese visa while in Paris?
Thanks