No more L or F China visa extensions after July 1st

"Under normal circumstances, most passport holders could get extensions for 30 days simply by paying a fee. Extensions and visas valid up to July 1 can be obtained, not beyond. This is what I have been told by 3 visa agents in Beijing," writes a user on the LP Thorntree). Reports are generally saying that after June 30th there will be no more visa extensions. If you arrive after 1 July, you will only get 30 days with no option of extensions until some time in fall. "Interns and short-term project workers are required to apply for a Z visa if an uninterrupted stay in China is required," reports the Beijinger. While this is the rumor, whether or not this is true will remain to be seen. Please let us know your experiences of renewing visas after July 1st.

UPDATE: While many reports have suggested it's impossible to extend L visas from within China, a number of travelers have been able to extend their L visas from the Entry & Exit Bureaus in Beijing in and Shanghai. If you have a 60 day L visa that is double or single entry issued from outside of China and not from Hong Kong, you can still renew it up to 2 times from within China every 30 days for a cost of 150 RMB (takes 5 working days).