Felony conviction is for 2nd degree assault.

Based on some research I've done trying to find an answer for you, it appears the best approach is to admit your conviction (i.e. never lie) and explain the circumstances of your crime and hopefully the timeframe of them. I can understand if they want to ascertain how they can trust that you will not commit a crime in their country. As I am not a lawyer or an immigration specialist, I would strongly recommend that you keep looking.

BTW: Here is the link that I used to find the information above (it is a bit dated - 2007):
http://community.travelchinaguide.com/forum2.asp?i=39579&page=1