Can I send our passports to some different country to get a China tourist visa there?

China's rules for applying for a visa limit you to applying in the country of your citizenship or the country of residence. However the interpretation of "residence" varies from Embassy to Embassy, as some will accept a hotel address as your "residence" (but they will check your passport to see that you are legally in that country).

The visa fee you pay is dependent on your nationality. The only cost saving would be perhaps handling fees if any are imposed by the Chinese Embassy in the UK.

Actually, In many Countries you can apply no matter what your passport is . But it Will take a lot longer and cost more .

Until 3 years ago or so, You could have applied in HK with any passport. Now it is restricted but still allowed on very special cases . I would think that you will not meet the requirements for any.

Macau is the same .

In Malaysia ( Kuala Lampur ) you could apply with almost passport ( true as for 5 weeks ago ). will take up to 14 days . Not worth it and will surely not save money.

In Bangkok you could also apply with any passport .

The costs of a visa , like others have suggested , are based on nationality and Visa type . Therefor no savings will occur .

Another factor that you will need to consider is that Chinese Visa regulations and application acceptance are not "carved in stone " They are constantly Changing and Updating in relation to Current geo-political events or even Holidays . In some periods the system gets "hardened " ( like before Chinese new year, or just before some big Political event ). In some , they get more flexible ( Just before a big fair, when they want potential customers to arrive easily )

There is also a big difference between first time visa applicant , or one who traveled many times ( Min. 2 last year ) and a further difference between the visa TYPE . ( business for example is easier to apply elsewhere )

For that reason, all what I wrote above is conditioned ,and Therefor your best Chance is to apply in your Home Country.

On a side note - I must say that I am a bit surprised by the motive of this question. It is a valid question for other situations, but The factor of a visa cost in a trip ( especially a Chinese visa ) is very low , Considering all the other costs that involve a long trip such as one to China ...