The United States has told China to close its consulate in Houston, both countries said on Wednesday, deepening a deterioration in bilateral relations, and a source said Beijing was considering shutting down the U.S. consulate in Wuhan.
Fire trucks are seen outside the Chinese consulate, where local media reported trash cans filled with documents are being burned in the courtyard, in Houston, Texas, U.S. July 21, 2020, in this still image taken from video obtained from social media. Video taken on July 21, 2020. Mandatory credit Ronald Cline/via REUTERS
Ties between the United States and China have worsened sharply this year over a range of issues, from the novel coronavirus and telecoms gear maker Huawei to China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and its imposition of a national security law on Hong Kong.The move was made “in order to protect American intellectual property and American’s private information”, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
“We urge the U.S. to immediately revoke this erroneous decision. Should it insist on going down this wrong path, China will react with firm countermeasures,” he said. He said the United States had interfered with China’s diplomatic missions, including intercepting diplomatic pouches and confiscating Chinese items for “official use”. He did not specify whether the actions were related to the Houston consulate.A source with direct knowledge of the matter said China was considering closing the U.S. consulate in Wuhan, where the State Department withdrew staff and their families early this year amid the coranavirus outbreak that first emerged in the central city.
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