China orders closure of US consolate in Chengdu

US consulate in the south-western city of Chengdu will be closed upon orders from China amid tensions between the two countries.

China said that the measure was a “necessary response” to the US.

China’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the closure of the US consulate was a “legitimate and necessary response to the unreasonable actions taken by the United States”,

“The current situation between China and the United States is something China does not want to see, and the US bears all responsibility for that.”

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The US had earlier ordered China to close its consulate in Houston earlier this week.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explained that the US move was taken as China was allegedly “stealing” intellectual property.

Mr. Pompeo said that the Chinese Communist Party was stealing “not just American intellectual property… but European intellectual property too… costing hundreds of thousands of jobs”.

“We are setting out clear expectations for how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave. And when they don’t, we’re going to take actions,”

More than 200 employees work in the US consulate in Chengdu. It was formed in 1985. Correspondents say that the consulate is strategically significant due to its proximity to Tibet.

On the other hand, four Chinese nationals have been charged with visa fraud by the US for allegedly lying about their membership in the armed forces of China.

Three nationals have been arrested whereas the FBI is working to arrest the fourth one, who is said to be staying in China’s San Francisco consulate.