Where do I get Chinese police records?

[noemi 0]

I've read numerous threads/information regarding police certificates from China on VJ and other websites, but I haven't found the answer to my very basic question, which is from where do I get the police certificate? The PSB or notary office or both?

On the U.S. Department of State Reciprocity Schedule for China it says:

Police Records

Generally available, reliable. Persons should apply for a certificate of no criminal record at the local Public Security Bureau (PSB), then make application to the notary office for a certificate based on the PSB document. Persons without a criminal record will be able to obtain a certificate to that effect.

Regarding documents obtained from notary offices, it says:

Notarial certificates of birth, death, marriage, divorce, no criminal record and pre-1981 adoptions are, at best, secondary evidence of the events they purport to document. Although these certificates are secondary evidence, they are used because primary evidence is not standardized, is easily forged, and difficult to evaluate.

Now, from the above information, my understanding is that I first get the certificate from the PSB, then get another certificate from the notary office as secondary evidence. However, I have read about applicants getting the certificate only from the notary office. It does say in the Reciprocity Schedule (above) that these notary office documents are used.

So, do I need certificates from both the PSB and notary office? Or is it one or the other and it doesn't matter which you get, as long as you have one?

I am planning to contact the PSB and notary office (through an interpreter) and knowing what I need would be helpful.

I am a Japanese citizen. living in Japan. I spent 2-1/2 years working and studying in China. I already had a friend try to get the certificates for me from both the PSB and notary office, but he couldn't. I already had my interview at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, and everything was fine except for this missing police certificate. I should have asked the consul officer but was flustered at the interview and forgot.