China has ordered the U.S. to close its consulate-general in the city of Chengdu in retaliation to U.S. directive for China to shut its consulate-general in Houston, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the decision was a legitimate and significant response to the irrational act of the U.S. on July 21 of abruptly asking China to close its consulate-general in Houston by Friday.
The ministry said that the U.S. moves have severely violated international law, basic norms of international relations, as well as relevant provisions of the China-U.S. consular treaty. It has critically weakened the China-U.S. ties the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
Earlier, China slammed the US for asking Beijing to close its consulate in Houston. Accusing the US of “unilateral political provocation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the US push to have the Houston consulate closed was “a grave violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations,” Chinese daily Global Times reported.
Urging Washington “to immediately correct its mistakes,” Wenbin told a press conference in Beijing: “Otherwise, China will make a legitimate and necessary response.” The US move is a “grave violation” of related provisions of the China-US Consular Treaty, and a “deliberate attempt to undermine China-US relations,” the spokesman added.
