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US orders China to shutdown Houston consulate in three days

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By Choekyi Lhamo

DHARAMSHALA, July 22: The United States has ordered China to close its consulate in Houston within 3 days (72 hours) in a statement on Wednesday after Chinese foreign minister spokesperson Wang Wenbin urged the US to reverse the decision immediately to avoid retaliation, “Otherwise China will certainly make legitimate and necessary reactions.”

The US State Department released a statement which said, “We have directed the closure of PRC [People’s Republic of China] Consulate General Houston, in order to protect American intellectual property and American’s private information.” The Houston consulate processes visas for travellers visiting China in the southern states from Texas to Florida. It is one of the five operating in the US, not including the embassy in Washington DC.

US Department spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus, said that the closure of the consulate showed that the US would not tolerate China’s “egregious behaviour.” She further said that it was closed in response to Chinese interference in the American sovereign system including the “massive illegal spying and influence operations.” 

The US Justice Department on Tuesday said that an indictment against two Chinese hackers accused of trying to steal information about COVID-19 vaccine research. The Chinese Foreign Ministry denies all claims as Wang asserted that the US government has been making “unwarranted attacks” against China by harassing and intimidating Chinese diplomats, students, and consular staff. 

China’s government mouthpiece, Global Times, suggested a poll on Twitter asking users to choose which “US consulate general in China [is] most likely to be closed” between consulates in Hong Kong, Chengdu, Guangzhou among others. Hu Xijin, an editor of Global Times, wrote in a post on Weibo, “This is a manifestation of panic . . . It seems that Washington has no bottom line.”

3 Responses

  1. Despite US demanding China to close down the consulate in Houston, China told the media that they will not move. After the deadline passed on Friday, US federal agents and local law enforcement authorities, broke into the consulate building and kicked the thieves out.

  2. Interesting that the consulate to be shut down is in Chengdu. Does the international community need a reminder of where exactly Chamdo is located? Copies of old National Geographic magazines can be found all over the world.

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