The United States ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, initiating a new dispute between both countries, from the People’s Republic of China has cataloged the action as a political provocation. Last Tuesday night, consulate officials burned confidential documents after the abrupt decision of the Donald Trump government.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has spoken through its official networks, accusing the act, «political provocation unilaterally launched by the US side«, also added that the decisions made by the Donald Trump government «violate international law, the basic rules that govern international relations and the bilateral consular agreement between China and the United States«.
From China, Wang Wenbin, the ministry spokesman has condemned the closure of one of the five Chinese consulates in the United States, assuring that if China does not retract it, it will retaliate. According to a Chinese editor, Hu Xijin, the Trump government would have given the Asian country 72 hours to close its consulate in Houston.
After the announcement, the Chinese government would have instructed its employees to get rid of the consulate’s documentation, the reason for what yesterday afternoon, the city’s firefighters arrived in the area because of the smoke caused by the papers that were burned in barrels in the consulate garden, but were not allowed to enter.
“Houston”:
Porque Trump ordenó cerrar el consulado Chino en Houston supuestamente para proteger la propiedad intelectual de sus científicos. Después, se hizo viral este video de diplomáticos chinos quemando documentos luego de la orden de Trump. pic.twitter.com/UfRpgIU7Be— ¿Por qué es Tendencia? (@porkestendencia) July 22, 2020
For its part, the United States government has spoken through Morgan Ortagus, a spokesman for the State Department, assuring that the measures were taken «to protect the American intellectual property and the private information of the Americans«. Furthermore, Ortagus declared that they will not tolerate violations by the Republic of China, towards sovereignty or intimidation of citizens.
The Houston consulate covered eight states, including Texas and Florida, and also Puerto Rico. It was the first consulate of the Republic of China in the country, established in 1979 after the United States and China forged diplomatic relations.