The United States said Wednesday that it has ordered China to close its consulate in Houston “to protect American intellectual property” and the private information of Americans.
The United States said Wednesday that it has ordered China to close its consulate in Houston “to protect American intellectual property” and the private information of Americans.
China strongly condemned the move, the latest in a series of steps by the Trump administration as it ratchets up pressure on the world’s second largest economy over trade, technology, human rights and security.
In Houston, firefighters responded to reports of papers being burned on the consulate grounds Tuesday night but were barred entry, according to news media reports.
The U.S., in a brief statement, did not provide any details on why the consulate in Texas was specifically targeted.
Speaking alongside his Danish counterpart at a news conference in Copenhagen on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasized accusations Beijing was stealing intellectual property in the U.S. and elsewhere.
“President Trump has said ‘enough.’ We’re not going to allow this to continue to happen … we are setting out clear expectations for how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave,” said Pompeo. “And when they don’t, we’re going to take actions that protect the American people, protect our national security and also protect our economy and jobs.”
The U.S. also has decided not to reopen its consulate in the city of Wuhan, which was closed in late January at the height of t