U.S. Orders a Closure of Chinese Consulate in Houston in an “Unprecedented Escalation”

The tension between the U.S. and China continued to escalate after the Chinese Consulate in Houston reportedly burned documents at its courtyard, causing smoke to hover around the area and prompting the U.S. to order the closure of the consulate within 72 hours.

 

At 8 p.m. the Houston Police Department received a report that there were papers being burned at a courtyard of the Chinese Consulate. The firefighters were at the scene but could not get access to the premise to put out the fire, according to local reporters and witnesses at the scene.

The spokesmen of the Chinese Foreign Affairs later stated that the Houston Chinese Consulate received an order from the U.S. government to close its consulate within 72 hours, and it was an “unprecedented escalation,” said the Foreign Ministry.

 

What documents were burned and why the U.S. ordered a closure of the consulate remained unknown, but the Chinese Foreign Minister said that if the Trump administration doesn’t revoke this erroneous decision, Beijing would react with firm countermeasures.