Can US citizens apply for work visas right now?

Thank you for any assistance you can offer... I simply want to know, can I as a US citizen apply for a work visa to China right now? And if so, once the work visa is processed, could I go to China right now? I ask because a company is offering to give me a work visa, but according to the website for the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles, they are only allowing people who have expired visas to apply for new ones. The website also says that only people who ALREADY had residence permits (which I believe are only granted once you are already in China) can apply for new work visas. Can you clarify this? Thank you very much.