In a shocking move to China, the United States government has ordered to shut the Chinese consulate in Houston. Although the official order is not clear on how soon the closure has to be done, Chinese media reports has said that the consulate has been given 72 hours to shut down. The move comes amid a rising criticism over Chinese spying upon US and UK.
US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said the consulate was directed to close “in order to protect American intellectual property and Americans’ private information” but did not immediately provide additional details of what prompted the closure according to the CNN report. Chinese media reported that the consulate had been given 72 hours to close.
There has been rising tensions between the US and China for some time now. President Donald Trump’s administration has clashed repeatedly with the communist party over trade as well as the coronavirus pandemic issue. Recently China’s imposition of the controversial national security law on Hong Kong was revolted by US.
The CNN report further explained that late Tuesday evening, police in Houston said they responded to reports of smoke in the courtyard outside the consulate, located on Montrose Boulevard, in the city’s Midtown area. Local media shared video of what appeared to be officials inside the compound burning documents.
China has been accused of sponsoring spies on a large scale since many years. The issue has risen in the recent times as countries are racing towards introducing an effective vaccine against the Coronavirus. According to a US Senator, Marco Rubio, the Houston consulate is a central node of the Communist Party’s vast network of spies.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying described the reasons given by the US for closing the consulate as “unbelievably ridiculous” and urged to reverse the decision or they will react with firm countermeasures.