After Houston, China may ask US to close a consulate as countermeasure: Report

China may ask at least one US consulate to close down on Friday as a countermeasure against the US government’s order to close its embassy in Houston, Texas. Chinese Mouthpiece Global Times Editor Hu Xijin said on Thursday that Beijing is ‘forced to’ take this reciprocal measure against America’s actions as otherwise, it would cause serious consequences.

The United States ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, escalating tensions between the world's largest economies as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure against China ahead of the November election.

The physical closure of the consulate marked a dramatic step in the strained relations between the two countries not only by the coronavirus pandemic but by disputes over trade, human rights, Hong Kong Security Law and Beijing’s claim in the South China Sea. Six Chinese consulates are located in the United States along with China's mission to the United Nations.

READ | China's Mouthpiece Dubs Houston Consulate Closure As Trump's Election Gambit

READ | Chinese Urge US Rethink Over Consulate Closure

China condemns consulate closure

China said on Thursday that “malicious slander” is behind an order by the US government to close its consulate in Houston and maintained that its officials have never operated outside ordinary diplomatic norms.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the order to close the consulate “violates international law and basic norms governing international relations,” and “seriously undermines China-US relations".

“This is breaking down the bridge of friendship between the Chinese and American people,” Wang told reporters at a daily briefing.

In its statement on the closing of the consulate, the State Department alleged that Chinese agents have tried to steal data from facilities in Texas, including the Texas A&M medical system statewide and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Wang said there was no basis to that claim. “This is completely malicious slander," he said.

READ | Irate China 'getting bomb Threats'; Will Take 'firm Countermeasures' As US Shuts Consulate

READ | Donald Trump Hints At Closing More Chinese Embassies After US Shuts Down Houston Consulate