Visa for China and Requirement of Old passport.

I am an Indian Passport holder and on a student visa in Japan.

1. Can I apply for a tourist visa for China?
2. Is there a requirement of submitting old passport along with the current passport? (However, I have not seen this mentioned anywhere in the basic or supporting documents page of CVASC. But on contacting CVASC, Osaka on landline, they did mention this requirement).
My current passport is 2016 issue.

Need a clarification on these issues.

Thanks