In response to Trump, China orders the closure of the US consulate in Chengdu.
The decision is "a legitimate and necessary response to the irrational measures taken by the US," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
247 - In response to the Donald Trump administration, China ordered the closure of the United States consulate in the city of Chengdu, in the southwest of the country, this Friday (24).
The decision is "a legitimate and necessary response to the irrational measures taken by the US," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement, just hours before the deadline set by Washington for the Chinese government to close its diplomatic mission in Houston, Texas.
Trump ordered the embassy in Houston closed, arguing that two alleged hackers were trying to steal information about vaccine research on behalf of Chinese government intelligence services.
China considered the closure an "unprecedented measure" and promised retaliation, stating that it "was forced to respond to the US" and assessed that the American measure "caused severe damage to relations between the two countries."
The U.S. consulate in Chengdu has 200 employees and covers southwestern China, including the Tibet Autonomous Region, and was also the closest U.S. diplomatic representation to Chongqing, an important Chinese industrial center.