Houston consulate general offices a long-time landmark of US-China relations
- Beijing’s first such office in US has been ordered closed by Friday, with State Department saying directive is ‘to protect American intellectual property’
- Chinese media have suggested Beijing will order a US consulate to close as retaliation
Early in 1979 – just weeks after diplomatic ties were normalised between Beijing and Washington – China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping donned a cowboy hat at a rodeo west of Houston during his historic state visit to the United States.
Now, more than four decades later, Houston is where Washington has taken a drastic step in the nations’ eroding relations, demanding that the Chinese consulate general (CG) there – Beijing’s first in the US – be closed.
The Chinese foreign ministry condemned Washington’s move as state media reported on Wednesday that the CG was given just three days to shut down after Washington made its demand on Monday.
On Tuesday night, local Houston news outlets released video apparently of documents being burned in the CG’s courtyard as police and fire officials responded to reports of smoke.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters that the Houston consulate had recently received bomb and death threats. The Chinese outlet The Paper reported on Wednesday that the consulate had to increase security after it received a bomb threat on Monday and threatening letters in recent days.