US Orders To Close Chinese Consulate In Houston
Only One Of Five Chinese Consulates Has Been Shut Down
The United States government has ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas, by the end of this business week. This recent move against China is best described as a political provocation. According to the United State’s State Department, this decision has been taken in order to safeguard the intellectual property of America. But the foreign ministry of China called this decision as unjustified and outrageous. This statement has been given after multiple unidentified individuals were filmed while burning documents in bins in the courtyard of the building.
The level of tensions between the United States and China has escalated for the past few weeks. The situation has taken a turn for the worse as the US government decided to shut down the Chinese consulate in Houston. The administration of Donald Trump repeatedly has multiple clashes with China over several issues, including trade, coronavirus pandemic, and the recent controversial security law in Hong Kong. On Tuesday, the United States Department of Justice has accused China of sponsoring those individuals who are hacking targeted labs that are doing research development over the coronavirus vaccination. Two individuals of Chinese nationality have been charged for theft and spaying on United States research corporations.
Closing down of Chinese consulate in Houston
The US State Department issues a statement to close the Chinese consulate in Houston on Wednesday. This decision has been taken to protect the intellectual property and private information of America. Other than this Chinese consulate in Houston, four more are located across the United States. No reason has been given why only this one embassy has been shut down.
The United States government gas declared that they would not tolerate any violation of the sovereignty of the country and alarming the general population by the Peoples Republic of China. This step will not be tolerated the same as when PRC dominated American jobs, trades, and other dreadful behavior. It has also been pointed out that nations are not allowed to interfere with the internal affairs of other countries.
In another statement given by the US Department of Justice, China has been accused of alleged illegal spying, interference in domestic politics, and influencing operations. The PRC has also threatening multiple families that are Chinese Americans residing in China, along with multiple other conflicting issues. Due to these persisting issues, the United States government has shut down the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas.
Amid the disruption of the United States economy due to the coronavirus pandemic and the presidential election campaign, the Trump administration is set that there will be an immense political advantage to engage in the China card. If these tensions between both countries remain at the same level, this issue might persist to become worse.
The first sign of something unusual happening in the Chinese consulate in Houston was the bin fires inside the building. Later complete video footage emerged as evidence. The Houston police force officers were not allowed inside the building, as only emergency services were able to enter inside to prevent property damage.
China’s reaction to the closure order
According to China, this decision to shut down the Chinese embassy is an unprecedented escalation along with a violation of the international laws. In the United States continue to go down this wrong path; the Chinese government would be inclined to react with forceful countermeasures. If the statistics are checked, the number of Americans working in China is more in number as compared to Chinese people working in the United States.
The foreign ministry of China has also sent a warning to all Chinese students who are currently residing in the United States to be on their guard; as the law enforcement agencies in the United States have initiated dictatorial interrogations, confiscation of personal items, detention, and harassment of international students belonging to China in the United States.
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