6 months passport validity - visa application date or arrival in China?

Hi, I hope someone can help me. My passport expires in March 2015 and I am travelling to China in November 2014 for 10 days. I already have a return flight. I am about to apply for the tourist visa where it says passport validity has to be 6 months. Do they mean 6 months from application date or from arrival in China? Many thanks, Anna