The U.S. abruptly asked China to close its Consulate General in Houston in 72 hours starting July 21. The move, according to U.S. State Department was to "protect Americans' intellectual property and private information."
In response, China said the decision is a political provocation made by the U.S., which has seriously violated international law, basic norms of international relations as well as relevant provisions of the China-U.S. Consular Treaty, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.
The unilateral announcement on closing China's Consulate-General in Houston, according to Wang, is an upgraded action that escalates tensions between China and the U.S. to an unprecedented level.
According to Wang, the U.S. government has long blamed China and smeared it by taking unprovoked attack against the country's social system and by targeting, intimidating and even arresting Chinese students in the United States.
Wang also refuted the U.S. claim of unequal relations between the two countries and the so-called China's infiltration into the U.S., pointing out that it is the United States that has repeatedly set restrictions against Chinese diplomats, opened diplomatic bags from China without permission and seized China's articles intended for official use.
China's Consulate Generals have already received several death threats and even bombs, the spokesperson added.
China has always adhered to its policy of non-intervention; infiltration or interference has never been the norm for China's diplomacy, stressed Wang.
China's diplomatic presence in the U.S. has always been committed to improving mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, Wang reiterated, and once again urged the United States to recall its wrong decision.
Lionel Vairon, a former French diplomat, said in an op-ed published with CGTN that this is the U.S.'s containment policy, trying to pressure China with every opportunity.
"Since the last six months, you've seen that for the listed companies, you've seen that for students, you've seen that for technology exchanges, you've seen that in telecoms, you've seen that on Tibet and so on. We see Hong Kong today," Vairon said. "And this is just one more way to pressure China."
（U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun attends a meeting at the foreign ministry in Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK), July 8, 2020. /Reuters）
On the Sino-U.S. ties, CGTN also asked the Foreign Ministry's spokesperson during Friday's daily briefing whether China is willing to cooperate with the U.S. on resolving the issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s denuclearization despite the escalating tension between the two sides.
The spokesman noted that China pursues an independent foreign policy, whether it is to develop friendly and cooperative relations between China and the DPRK, or to handle affairs on the peninsula, China will judge the situation based on its own position to promote the political settlement of the Peninsula issue.
As on Wednesday, despite tensions between Washington and Beijing, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun said that the United States and China can still work together against the DPRK's development of weapons of mass destruction.
The senior U.S. diplomat said there is much more China could do to enforce binding sanctions and prevent sanctions evasion, adding that the U.S. will continue to engage the Chinese on that issue.
Since last Friday, US federal agents and law enforcement officers have entered the Chinese consulate compound along with locksmiths after the mission was shut down. Up to four Chinese Scholars holding J-1 visa have been detained citing of visa violations and/or connections to People's Liberation Army.
"Things may get worse before it gets better," said President Trump referring to the current COVID-19 pandemic in US. This may apply to US-China relations as well. If the ties between the two nations of the world's biggest economy will ever get any better, we probably have to wait till the upcoming November's general election.