The good was that in the end I got my visa application approved. There's a few less than desirable experiences throughout the process though: VisaHQ was a but ambiguous about some instructions such as the visa application picture--they gave zero instructions on what size to print them. Then when I asked what kind of paper to print all they said was photo glossy paper, so I did that. When they received my application, I got the notification that it was properly prepared and ready to be submitted. Later on though, it was apparently rejected by the consulate because of the picture. So, 1. this caused my application to be delayed by at least a day, and 2. VisaHQ is clearly not entirely knowledgeable about the Chinese Visa application process, in my experience, (which is what I payed for).