The response from China to the United States, after the latter closed its consulate in Houston, was not long in coming, the Chinese government has communicated that the Donald Trump government has until Monday to finish its work at the US consulate located in Chengdu, according to the Chinese newspaper Global Times.
China had threatened to respond with firm measures, before the closure of its consulate in Houston. The answer comes after statements by Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, who assured that the decision was made because China was stealing intellectual property. Although the tension between the two countries grew with the arrival of the Coronavirus, US President Donald Trump has faced China on other occasions, over issues such as trade or the controversial security law, a Chinese imposition towards Hong Kong.
The Chengdu consulate was chosen by the Chinese government for its revenge, although many believed that the Wuhan consulate would be closed, the measure would have been mild for the United States because the consulate has been disabled since the beginning of the pandemic. Chengdu is the equivalent of Houston in China in the level of importance in its consulates.
If on the one hand, the United States accused the Chinese consulate of being a center of espionage and theft of intellectual property, from Beijing they have denounced that the American diplomats of Chengdu, would have ingested in the internal affairs of the host nation, in addition to having led to carry out activities not in accordance with their job descriptions.
From China, the Foreign Ministry affirmed «a legitimate and necessary response to the unacceptable actions carried out by the United States«.
The Chengdu consulate is considered strategically important to the United States, due to its proximity to Tibet, China’s autonomous region, which has been seeking independence for some time.