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The United States had ordered China to close their diplomatic consulate in Houston by the end of the week.
China's diplomats are being accused of aiding a nationwide pattern of economic espionage and attempted theft of scientific research. This is part of their escalation against the Trump administration's current moves against China.
China has called this move illegal and vows to retaliate.
Hours after this move was announced by the administration, consulate employees started to burn papers in the courtyard prompting police officers and firefighters to arrive at the scene.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has been aggressively pushing that message, said on Wednesday at a news conference in Copenhagen that the Trump administration is “setting out clear expectations as to how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave.” He warned that when they didn’t, the United States would “take actions” to protect its interests.
In Beijing, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the United States to reverse the decision immediately.
“Otherwise China will certainly make legitimate and necessary reactions,” said the spokesman, Wang Wenbin. His remarks suggested that China would, at a minimum, close a U.S. consulate in China.
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