U.S. orders Chinese Consulate closure in Houston

The United States ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, escalating tensions between the world’s largest economies as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure against China ahead of the November election.

Beijing denounced the order Wednesday as “outrageous” and said it would draw a firm response if not reversed.

The physical closure of the consulate, one of China’s six missions in the United States, marked a dramatic step in relations that have been strained not only by the conronavirus pandemic but disputes over trade, human rights, Hong Kong and Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Previous Trump administration measures against Chinese officials, students and researchers have included travel bans, registration requirements and other steps to reduce the country’s footprint in the United States.

And the administration has announced its rejection of nearly all Chinese maritime claims in the

South China Sea.

The State Department said it ordered the consulate closed within 72 hours after alleging that Chinese agents have tried to steal data from facilities in Texas, including the Texas A&M medical system statewide and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

There were signs consulate staff were preparing to leave: Papers were being burned on the consulate grounds late Tuesday.

State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that the closure was “to protect American intellectual property and Americans’ private information.”

Testifying before Congress on Wednesday, Deputy Secretary of

State Stephen Biegun lamented that relations today are “weighed down by a growing number of disputes,” including commercial espionage.