US break-in to China's Houston consulate 'no different from burglary': China lashes out

The forcible shutting down of the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas has caused a big flashpoint in the strained relations between the US and China, sparking massive outrage by Chinese authorities. 

In the most recent statement by China, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying has slammed the US alleging that their 'break-in' was a violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations which clearly states that consulates and embassies of a country on foreign land are its properties. Calling the incident 'a burglary', Hua Chunying said that the 'break-in' was 'a violation of the US constitution and the Foreign Missions Act.' 

On July 22, the US Government ordered the shutting down of the Chinese consulate in Houston citing fears of espionage. After the US government ordered to close China’s consulate in Houston Texas, a group of men were seen accompanied by US State Department official to forcibly open the building’s back door. According to the witnesses, the consulate staff had left the building after the order came into after at 4 PM (central time) after which the door was forced open.

Read: China Accuses US Of Improperly Entering Houston Consulate

Read: After Houston, China May Ask US To Close A Consulate As Countermeasure: Report

Chinese consulate in Houston closed

A senior US government official announced in a press briefing that even though consulates are base of operations for the foreign governments in the US, some can be used for exploitation and ‘espionage activities’. The official also said, “The Houston consulate was also implicated in an investigation of grant fraud at a Texas research institution. Consulate officials were directly involved in communications with researchers and guided them on what information to collect.” 

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.

However, the US government order of closing one of the six Chinese missions has been severely criticised by China who reportedly said that “malicious slander” was behind it. Chinese 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-U.S. relations.” China has acted by ordering the shutdown of the US Consulate in Chengdu.

Read: China Gives 'necessary Response', Orders Shutdown Of US Consulate In Chengdu

Read: After China Consulate's Closure In Houston, Group Of Men Breaks Into Building