Just a day after the US demanded that China close down its consulate in Houston, Texas, China has ordered the closure of the US consulate in Chengdu, a city in southwest China. The move represents a tit-for-tat escalation between the two countries as tensions continue to rise. China admitted that the move was in direct response to the incident in Houston, and accused staff in Chengdu of meddling in internal affairs.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo previously stated that the US ordered the closure of the Houston consulate due to reports of Chinese employees stealing intellectual property. Employees were spotted in the courtyard starting fires in trash cans, however, it is unclear what documents or materials they were burning. President Trump and President Xi Jinping have clashed repeatedly recently over several key issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, trade, and China’s new security law imposed on Hong Kong.
Read More: US consulate: China orders US consulate closure in tit-for-tat move