San Francisco consulate attack arson, FBI says

The FBI says an attack on the Chinese consulate in San Francisco was arson and unlikely to have been a terrorist act.

The fire that seriously damaged the building's main entrance was caused by a "gas-based device with accelerants", said Peter Lee, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. No bomb-making materials were found and there was no sign of an explosion, he said.

David Johnson, the FBI agent in charge in San Francisco, said: "Our initial assessment is that this appears to be most likely a criminal matter as opposed to a national security matter."

The building was open for business on Thursday with an increased police presence.

Nobody was injured in the fire on Wednesday evening that charred a doorway and damaged the lobby.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman in Beijing, Qin Gang told reporters China had demanded that the United States improve protection for its diplomats.