Hi Can I apply for a transit visa for China as an American citizen in Russia?

I am currently studying abroad in Russia with a plane ticket to Auckland, NZ from Irkutsk, RUS at the end of the month. I transit through China in less than 24 hours, through Beijing and then Chengdu. I am reading that I should not need a transit G (I should be able to take advantage of TWOV) but am still worried. Is it possible to apply for a transit G at the Chinese Consulate office in Irkutsk?