U.S. orders closure of Chinese consulate in Houston, angering Beijing | CBC News

The U.S. has ordered China to near its consulate in Houston in what a Chinese respectable known as an outrageous and unjustified transfer that can sabotage family members between the 2 international locations.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin condemned the motion, which comes at a time of emerging tensions between the arena’s two greatest economies. He warned of multinational countermeasures if the U.S. does no longer opposite its choice.

“The unilateral closure of China’s consulate general in Houston within a short period of time is an unprecedented escalation of its recent actions against China,” Wang mentioned at a day by day information briefing.

Besides its embassy in Beijing, the U.S. has 5 consulates in mainland China, in keeping with its web site. They are in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan and Shenyang.

The U.S. mentioned in a short lived remark that the consulate was once ordered closed “to protect American intellectual property and Americans’ private information.” It didn’t supply any main points.

“The United States will not tolerate the PRC’s violations of our sovereignty and intimidation of our people, just as we have not tolerated the PRC’s unfair trade practices, theft of American jobs, and other egregious behaviour,” the remark from State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus mentioned.

Media reviews in Houston mentioned that government had replied to reviews of a hearth on the Chinese Consulate. Witnesses mentioned that folks have been burning paper in what seemed to be trash cans, the Houston Chronicle reported, mentioning police.

Police have been instructed that occupants got till four p.m. native time Friday to depart the valuables, the Chronicle mentioned.

Houston police mentioned in a tweet that officials replied to name on the Chinese Consulate development at 3417 Montrose Blvd. The tweet mentioned that smoke was once seen in an outside courtyard space, and that officials weren’t allowed to go into the development.

Ortagus’s remark got here an afternoon after the Justice Department indicted two hackers primarily based in China it accused of operating on behalf of the federal government in Beijing. The males have been accused of focused on companies which are growing vaccines for the coronavirus and of stealing masses of thousands and thousands of bucks price of highbrow belongings and business secrets and techniques from corporations internationally. At a press convention, U.S. officers mentioned the boys didn’t download coronavirus analysis.