China ordered to close Houston consulate
WASHINGTON — The United States has ordered China to close its diplomatic consulate in Houston by Friday, citing a nationwide pattern of espionage and attempted theft of scientific research by the Chinese military that is aided by diplomats.
The order deals a major blow to the rapidly deteriorating relations between the two nations. China promptly vowed to retaliate, calling the move illegal.
The State Department said in a statement that the closure is in response to repeated Chinese violations of U.S. sovereignty, including ‘‘massive illegal spying and influence operations.’’
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a news conference Wednesday in Copenhagen, Denmark, that Chinese citizens stealing intellectual property in the United States has been a persistent problem. ‘‘We are setting out clear expectations as to how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave,’’ he said. ‘‘And when they don’t, we are going to take actions that protect the American people, protect our security, our national security, and also protect our economy and jobs.’’
President Donald Trump and his top national security aides have made harsh statements and speeches on China in recent weeks. Trump’s campaign strategists, anxious about his failures on the pandemic and the economy, have decided to roll out a blanket antiChina message.
On Tuesday night, hours after American officials delivered the shutdown order to the Chinese ambassador in Washington, consulate employees burned papers in open metal barrels in a courtyard of the Houston building, prompting police officers and firefighters to rush to the area, according to online videos and local news reports.
The People’s Liberation Army ‘‘has been sending students both overtly and otherwise to American universities to study things to advance their own warfare advantages in the economic world and the rest,’’ David R. Stilwell, assistant secretary for East Asia and the Pacific, said Wednesday. ‘‘We took a practical step to prevent them from doing that.
‘‘At the epicenter of all these activities facilitated by the PRC mission is this consulate in Houston,’’ he added, referring to the People’s Republic of China. ‘‘It has a history of engaging in subversive behavior.’’
Stillwell said some of attempted scientific thefts uncovered in the United States could be related to global efforts to develop a vaccine for the new coronavirus.