(PresidentialWire.com)- China is certainly not happy that the United States government forced the closure of a corrupt Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas. The Chinese Community Party announced retaliation against the United States On Thursday after being accused of engaging in espionage and other illegal activity from the Texas property.
In response to the order, China has ordered the United States to shut down its own consulate In Chengdu, a south-western city in the communist nation.
Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, announced that the authoritarian nation has chosen to withdraw its consent “for the establishment & operation of US Consulate General in Chengdu.”
This is a legitimate & necessary response to the unilateral provocative move by the US to demand the closure of China’s Consulate General in Houston.
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) July 24, 2020
“The US Consulate General in Chengdu must cease all operations & events as required,” she added. “This is a legitimate & necessary response to the unilateral provocative move by the US to demand the closure of China’s Consulate General in Houston.”
Well, maybe it is. But how likely do you think it is that the Americans in the Chengdu consulate were engaging in espionage?
This is a key point in this story, too. American officials have accused China of breaking the law, while Chinese officials have not accused Americans of anything at all.
The United States State Department explained their decision to shut down the consulate, describing FBI investigations into the operation.
“Based on FBI investigation, it is clear PRC Consulate Houston officials were deeply involved in attempts to illegally transfer research from Houston-area institutions, including cutting-edge medical research, to China,” the State Department said.
“Consulate officials attempted to hide their contacts with Houston-area researchers and told employees of Houston-area institutions to stop communicating with them through their work email addresses.”
Shortly after the closure was ordered, Chinese officials were seen in the streets surrounding the consulate burning paperwork in dumpsters.
Small fires appear in Houston’s Chinese consulate courtyard after China says US had ordered to close it pic.twitter.com/H5L2jqMz1G
— The Sun (@TheSun) July 23, 2020
Is that the kind of thing you expect innocent government officials to do when they’re told to pack up their office?
Let’s wait and see if the American consulate burns any paperwork in the streets behind their old Chengdu offices…
