According to Chinese sources, the United States has asked China to close its consulate in the Texas city of Houston. State Department spokesman Wang Wenbin said in Beijing today. According to Chinese media reports, diplomats were given only 72 hours to leave the United States. The foreign ministry spokesman spoke to the press in the Chinese capital about a „political provocation“. No confirmation has so far been received from the American side.
US media: China’s diplomats burn documents
US media reports say documents were burned on the site. The police and fire brigade had responded to reports from residents about the fire, but could not enter the site. Eyewitnesses said that documents were burned in garbage cans in the consulate’s courtyard. Smoke has also risen, it was said. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin did not want to confirm the reports, but only said that the consulate was working „normally“.
This further exacerbates tensions
The decision exacerbates the tensions between the two largest economies, which are already in dispute over China’s handling of the Corona virus outbreak, trade policy, and tough Chinese practices in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. From a Chinese perspective, the relationship is as bad as it has been since diplomatic relations began in 1979.
State Department spokesman Wang Wenbin said the US government has surprisingly requested that the Chinese Consulate General „shut down all operations and events.“ The move violates international standards and the consular agreements between China and the United States.
Beijing: „Withdraw Decision Immediately“
„We urge the US to immediately withdraw its wrong decision,“ said the spokesman. „Otherwise, China will have a legitimate and necessary response.“ The United States has been harassing China’s diplomatic and consular personnel for some time, said Wang Wenbin. The unilateral closure of a consulate in such a short time was an „unprecedented escalation of the latest action against China“.
The United States spokesman said the United States had twice imposed restrictions on US diplomatic personnel last October and June. For his part, he accused American diplomats in China of „interfering“ in China and „infiltrating“ Chinese society. There are also more personnel in the US diplomatic missions in China than vice versa.
The exact background that prompted the US to take the step is still unclear.
