CDZ U.S. Provocation: China Must Close Houston Consulate in 72 Hours

[Tom Paine 1949]

The Trump Administration’s decision to force China to close its Houston consulate in 72 hours is an incredible provocation, which will lead to retaliation. China may close the small U.S. Wuhan consulate, but it also has the option of escalating by ordering the immediate closing of the huge U.S. consulates in Hong Kong and Macao. This would prove a decisive move against the U.S. Trump Administration’s dangerous machinations, and could be “reasonably” justified by American spying and its open support for frequent violent demonstrations in Hong Kong. It would also be devastating for Hong Kong movements for “free speech” and “democracy,” as also for the provocative waving of U.S. and British flags there and calls for “independence” ... all of which have hurt Hong Kong’s future prospects under the “One Nation, Two Systems” agreement that still is to last another 23 years, but which the U.S. is treating as essentially already ended by China’s passage of a national security law.

Here is an article that presents a slightly less-than-official Chinese English-language media response in The Global Times:

***

The US unreasonably asked China to close its consulate in Houston, giving staff there only 72 hours to leave the country. US insanity is shocking. In addition to the embassies, China and the US have five consulates in each other's country (not including the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao), according to the principle of reciprocity. The US is suddenly demanding the closing of one of the Chinese consulates, and normally, this resets the two sides' principle of reciprocity.

Isn't the US deliberately destroying the China-U.S. relations?... Once a country starts it, it is easy for the other to retaliate. It hardly benefits the country that instigates such dispute. Thus, it is difficult to explain the mind-set of the US.

Based on what the Global Times learns, the US has no justification to close the Chinese consulate in Houston.... The US State Department declared that the US closed the consulate to "protect American intellectual property and Americans' private information." This is a lame excuse.

China and the US share one of the largest bilateral trades worldwide, and personnel exchanges were very active under normal circumstances. The two sides need to set up multiple consulates to manage such exchanges. The COVID-19 has led to a huge decline in China-US personnel exchanges. By closing the Chinese consulate in Houston, is the US declaring that it no longer hopes to improve its epidemic situation and restore personnel exchanges between China and the US?

That's why we say the latest US move is crazy. Many people believe that this is another way the Trump administration creates China-US tensions and helps his reelection efforts. The US is trying to blame everything on China and to make US voters, who do not understand China well, believe in Washington's words. The November presidential election is driving Washington mad....

There are many countermeasures that China can take. Analysts generally believe that the international diplomatic community will not be surprised if China closes one of the US consulates in China.... The size of Chinese consulates in the US is not larger than the needs of daily routine work. None of these consulates has thousands of diplomats and employees, like the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao. It is not a secret that the US regards its consulate in Hong Kong and Macao as a fortress to attack China.

The US has opened a diplomatic battlefield ... The US presidential election is costing ... Mankind [which] desires peace, stability and development, has to pay for it ....

US presidential election driving Washington mad: Global Times editorial - Global Times

 

[Synthaholic]

They’re burning documents in the courtyard.

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

The Trump Administration’s decision to force China to close its Houston consulate in 72 hours is an incredible provocation, which will lead to retaliation. China may close the small U.S. Wuhan consulate, but it also has the option of escalating by ordering the immediate closing of the huge U.S. consulates in Hong Kong and Macao. This would prove a decisive move against the U.S. Trump Administration’s dangerous machinations, and could be “reasonably” justified by American spying and its open support for frequent violent demonstrations in Hong Kong. It would also be devastating for Hong Kong movements for “free speech” and “democracy,” as also for the provocative waving of U.S. and British flags there and calls for “independence” ... all of which have hurt Hong Kong’s future prospects under the “One Nation, Two Systems” agreement that still is to last another 23 years, but which the U.S. is treating as essentially already ended by China’s passage of a national security law.

Here is an article that presents a slightly less-than-official Chinese English-language media response in The Global Times:

***

The US unreasonably asked China to close its consulate in Houston, giving staff there only 72 hours to leave the country. US insanity is shocking. In addition to the embassies, China and the US have five consulates in each other's country (not including the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao), according to the principle of reciprocity. The US is suddenly demanding the closing of one of the Chinese consulates, and normally, this resets the two sides' principle of reciprocity.

Isn't the US deliberately destroying the China-U.S. relations?... Once a country starts it, it is easy for the other to retaliate. It hardly benefits the country that instigates such dispute. Thus, it is difficult to explain the mind-set of the US.

Based on what the Global Times learns, the US has no justification to close the Chinese consulate in Houston. A rumor goes that due to the COVID-19, China has refused to allow US diplomats to return to China, and the US' latest move was meant to retaliate.... The US State Department declared that the US closed the consulate to "protect American intellectual property and Americans' private information." This is a lame excuse.

China and the US share one of the largest bilateral trades worldwide, and personnel exchanges were very active under normal circumstances. The two sides need to set up multiple consulates to manage such exchanges. The COVID-19 has led to a huge decline in China-US personnel exchanges. By closing the Chinese consulate in Houston, is the US declaring that it no longer hopes to improve its epidemic situation and restore personnel exchanges between China and the US?

That's why we say the latest US move is crazy. Many people believe that this is another way the Trump administration creates China-US tensions and helps his reelection efforts. The US is trying to blame everything on China and to make US voters, who do not understand China well, believe in Washington's words. The November presidential election is driving Washington mad....

There are many countermeasures that China can take. Analysts generally believe that the international diplomatic community will not be surprised if China closes one of the US consulates in China.... The size of Chinese consulates in the US is not larger than the needs of daily routine work. None of these consulates has thousands of diplomats and employees, like the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao. It is not a secret that the US regards its consulate in Hong Kong and Macao as a fortress to attack China.

The US has opened a diplomatic battlefield ... The US presidential election is costing ... Mankind [which] desires peace, stability and development, has to pay for it ....

US presidential election driving Washington mad: Global Times editorial - Global Times

What a horrible thing for the US, straight out of the blue and for no reason whatsoever, to instigate problems with a peaceful, innocent nation like China who never did nuthin bad to nobody!

I'm certain that using a Chinese media corporation as your singular source of information on this topic will provide you with an unbiased, complete and accurate depiction of the events taking place between these two nations. If the CCP is known for anything, it's for allowing media companies that operate in China to disseminate whatever information those companies believe to be true, with complete independence from the influence of the politically powerful.

 

[RodISHI]

China has major issues. When the powers that be over there decided they would take out the United States they made a grave error, f'm.

I do feel sorry for their people though as many of them are just as sweet as can be. Its a shame that their government doesn't care as much for them but that is the way governments can get to be towards its people when greed is allowed to flourish. We have some or I should say that same problem exist here its just not as extreme yet.


Three Gorges Dam is of no effect now as they are flooded out above the dam and below the dam. The CCP's primary objective at this point is to try to protect Wuhan at all cost because it has one of their 'secret' Chinese People's Liberation Army Bases there along with the Dongfeng Missile Vehicle Factory. As usual, it's piss on the people just protect our war shit. Here's one video about it.

 

[Tom Paine 1949]

They’re burning documents in the courtyard.

Yes, of course they are. They also only have 72 hours to remove all their electronic equipment, special encryption machines and advanced telecommunications devices! There are also tens of thousands of Chinese students at Universities and businesses that often use this consulate. This is insane.

I would love to see Trump knocked for a loop over this ridiculous electoral posturing. I don’t really want to see this nonsense escalated, but imagine what would be burned in the Hong Kong U.S. consulate’s courtyard ... if China forced them to close in ... say 24 hours!

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

The Trump Administration’s decision to force China to close its Houston consulate in 72 hours is an incredible provocation, which will lead to retaliation. China may close the small U.S. Wuhan consulate, but it also has the option of escalating by ordering the immediate closing of the huge U.S. consulates in Hong Kong and Macao. This would prove a decisive move against the U.S. Trump Administration’s dangerous machinations, and could be “reasonably” justified by American spying and its open support for frequent violent demonstrations in Hong Kong. It would also be devastating for Hong Kong movements for “free speech” and “democracy,” as also for the provocative waving of U.S. and British flags there and calls for “independence” ... all of which have hurt Hong Kong’s future prospects under the “One Nation, Two Systems” agreement that still is to last another 23 years, but which the U.S. is treating as essentially already ended by China’s passage of a national security law.

Here is an article that presents a slightly less-than-official Chinese English-language media response in The Global Times:

***

The US unreasonably asked China to close its consulate in Houston, giving staff there only 72 hours to leave the country. US insanity is shocking. In addition to the embassies, China and the US have five consulates in each other's country (not including the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao), according to the principle of reciprocity. The US is suddenly demanding the closing of one of the Chinese consulates, and normally, this resets the two sides' principle of reciprocity.

Isn't the US deliberately destroying the China-U.S. relations?... Once a country starts it, it is easy for the other to retaliate. It hardly benefits the country that instigates such dispute. Thus, it is difficult to explain the mind-set of the US.

Based on what the Global Times learns, the US has no justification to close the Chinese consulate in Houston.... The US State Department declared that the US closed the consulate to "protect American intellectual property and Americans' private information." This is a lame excuse.

China and the US share one of the largest bilateral trades worldwide, and personnel exchanges were very active under normal circumstances. The two sides need to set up multiple consulates to manage such exchanges. The COVID-19 has led to a huge decline in China-US personnel exchanges. By closing the Chinese consulate in Houston, is the US declaring that it no longer hopes to improve its epidemic situation and restore personnel exchanges between China and the US?

That's why we say the latest US move is crazy. Many people believe that this is another way the Trump administration creates China-US tensions and helps his reelection efforts. The US is trying to blame everything on China and to make US voters, who do not understand China well, believe in Washington's words. The November presidential election is driving Washington mad....

There are many countermeasures that China can take. Analysts generally believe that the international diplomatic community will not be surprised if China closes one of the US consulates in China.... The size of Chinese consulates in the US is not larger than the needs of daily routine work. None of these consulates has thousands of diplomats and employees, like the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao. It is not a secret that the US regards its consulate in Hong Kong and Macao as a fortress to attack China.

The US has opened a diplomatic battlefield ... The US presidential election is costing ... Mankind [which] desires peace, stability and development, has to pay for it ....

US presidential election driving Washington mad: Global Times editorial - Global Times

China fucked up. There will be consequences for that behavior.

 

[Not2BSubjugated]

The Trump Administration’s decision to force China to close its Houston consulate in 72 hours is an incredible provocation, which will lead to retaliation. China may close the small U.S. Wuhan consulate, but it also has the option of escalating by ordering the immediate closing of the huge U.S. consulates in Hong Kong and Macao. This would prove a decisive move against the U.S. Trump Administration’s dangerous machinations, and could be “reasonably” justified by American spying and its open support for frequent violent demonstrations in Hong Kong. It would also be devastating for Hong Kong movements for “free speech” and “democracy,” as also for the provocative waving of U.S. and British flags there and calls for “independence” ... all of which have hurt Hong Kong’s future prospects under the “One Nation, Two Systems” agreement that still is to last another 23 years, but which the U.S. is treating as essentially already ended by China’s passage of a national security law.

Here is an article that presents a slightly less-than-official Chinese English-language media response in The Global Times:

***

The US unreasonably asked China to close its consulate in Houston, giving staff there only 72 hours to leave the country. US insanity is shocking. In addition to the embassies, China and the US have five consulates in each other's country (not including the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao), according to the principle of reciprocity. The US is suddenly demanding the closing of one of the Chinese consulates, and normally, this resets the two sides' principle of reciprocity.

Isn't the US deliberately destroying the China-U.S. relations?... Once a country starts it, it is easy for the other to retaliate. It hardly benefits the country that instigates such dispute. Thus, it is difficult to explain the mind-set of the US.

Based on what the Global Times learns, the US has no justification to close the Chinese consulate in Houston.... The US State Department declared that the US closed the consulate to "protect American intellectual property and Americans' private information." This is a lame excuse.

China and the US share one of the largest bilateral trades worldwide, and personnel exchanges were very active under normal circumstances. The two sides need to set up multiple consulates to manage such exchanges. The COVID-19 has led to a huge decline in China-US personnel exchanges. By closing the Chinese consulate in Houston, is the US declaring that it no longer hopes to improve its epidemic situation and restore personnel exchanges between China and the US?

That's why we say the latest US move is crazy. Many people believe that this is another way the Trump administration creates China-US tensions and helps his reelection efforts. The US is trying to blame everything on China and to make US voters, who do not understand China well, believe in Washington's words. The November presidential election is driving Washington mad....

There are many countermeasures that China can take. Analysts generally believe that the international diplomatic community will not be surprised if China closes one of the US consulates in China.... The size of Chinese consulates in the US is not larger than the needs of daily routine work. None of these consulates has thousands of diplomats and employees, like the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao. It is not a secret that the US regards its consulate in Hong Kong and Macao as a fortress to attack China.

The US has opened a diplomatic battlefield ... The US presidential election is costing ... Mankind [which] desires peace, stability and development, has to pay for it ....

US presidential election driving Washington mad: Global Times editorial - Global Times

China fucked up. There will be consequences for that behavior.

Yeah, you go in the first wave, hero.

Yeah, really! What an idiot to want any sort of retaliation against a nation as powerful as China!

Doesn't he know that the only nuclear power we should be acting against is Russia? You don't make moves that might result in global holocaust unless those moves are made against people who I associate with Bad Orange Man!

 

[sartre play]

China is not our friend, that said, during our time of Virus, political unrest, economic problems, Maybe not a great time to poke a stick at a hornets nest. Am very unhappy about what's going on in Hong Kong, & this is not helping.

 

[Tom Paine 1949]

I have reported some comments above as “off topic.” Please recall this thread is about the U.S. closing of China’s consulate in Texas and its significance. Also, this thread is in the “Clean Debate Zone” forum, where discussing personal matters is also, I believe, very inappropriate.

 

[Rye Catcher]

I have reported some comments above as “off topic.” Please recall this thread is about the U.S. closing of China’s consulate in Texas and its significance. Also, this thread is in the “Clean Debate Zone” forum, where discussing personal matters is also, I believe, very inappropriate.

I hope you've recognized that the action taken by trump to close the consulate in Houston is a billigant act, and one which I believe my post on Trump and his behavior is relevant.

 

[Olde Europe]

The Trump Administration’s decision to force China to close its Houston consulate in 72 hours is an incredible provocation, which will lead to retaliation.

It doesn't seem to be out of the ordinary:

The sweeping retaliation follows an intense review of what Obama called “aggressive harassment” of U.S. diplomats in Moscow and “cyberoperations aimed at the U.S. election,” a hacking campaign that U.S. officials code-named “Grizzly Steppe.” [...]

In the most dramatic move, the State Department declared 35 intelligence operatives at the Russian Embassy in Washington and the Russian Consulate in San Francisco as personae non gratae. They were given 72 hours to leave the country with their families for “acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status.”​

Reading through a long list of U.S. complaints, I find nothing the U.S. doesn't do as well. However:

President Trump’s campaign strategists, anxious about his failures on the pandemic, have been rolling out a blanket anti-China message to appeal to his supporters in recent weeks.

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.

The State Department described the Chinese actions as “massive illegal spying and influence operations,” but provided limited details. [...]

“The China accusation that this move has more to do with presidential politics than with intellectual property is hard to argue with,” said Mr. Russel, now a vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute.​

The small, to-be-closed Huston consulate (60 employees) handles travel between China and a few southern States (Texas to Florida), which is heavily restricted anyway, and will be for a while. So, it's a very public, very strongman-like but rather inconsequential move by the Trumpies to support a narrative that Corona Bob (Trump) is standing up for the U.S. of A. against a foreign enemy. That would be the continuation of the "Kung Flu" slur by other means so as to agitate the "base". Using the power of the office for electoral gains, and nothing gets the "base" in a huff better than a foreign threat. What else is NOT new? It's going to be interesting to see how China reacts. If they are as smart and long-term-oriented as I think they are, they are going to keep a very low profile on that one, very public whining about the U.S. notwithstanding.

I had previously asserted that U.S.-China relations will play a minuscule role in the upcoming elections. Watching Trump messing these relations up with an eye to re-election, I may well have to reverse myself on that one.

 

[Oddball]

The Trump Administration’s decision to force China to close its Houston consulate in 72 hours is an incredible provocation, which will lead to retaliation. China may close the small U.S. Wuhan consulate, but it also has the option of escalating by ordering the immediate closing of the huge U.S. consulates in Hong Kong and Macao. This would prove a decisive move against the U.S. Trump Administration’s dangerous machinations, and could be “reasonably” justified by American spying and its open support for frequent violent demonstrations in Hong Kong. It would also be devastating for Hong Kong movements for “free speech” and “democracy,” as also for the provocative waving of U.S. and British flags there and calls for “independence” ... all of which have hurt Hong Kong’s future prospects under the “One Nation, Two Systems” agreement that still is to last another 23 years, but which the U.S. is treating as essentially already ended by China’s passage of a national security law.

Here is an article that presents a slightly less-than-official Chinese English-language media response in The Global Times:

***

The US unreasonably asked China to close its consulate in Houston, giving staff there only 72 hours to leave the country. US insanity is shocking. In addition to the embassies, China and the US have five consulates in each other's country (not including the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao), according to the principle of reciprocity. The US is suddenly demanding the closing of one of the Chinese consulates, and normally, this resets the two sides' principle of reciprocity.

Isn't the US deliberately destroying the China-U.S. relations?... Once a country starts it, it is easy for the other to retaliate. It hardly benefits the country that instigates such dispute. Thus, it is difficult to explain the mind-set of the US.

Based on what the Global Times learns, the US has no justification to close the Chinese consulate in Houston.... The US State Department declared that the US closed the consulate to "protect American intellectual property and Americans' private information." This is a lame excuse.

China and the US share one of the largest bilateral trades worldwide, and personnel exchanges were very active under normal circumstances. The two sides need to set up multiple consulates to manage such exchanges. The COVID-19 has led to a huge decline in China-US personnel exchanges. By closing the Chinese consulate in Houston, is the US declaring that it no longer hopes to improve its epidemic situation and restore personnel exchanges between China and the US?

That's why we say the latest US move is crazy. Many people believe that this is another way the Trump administration creates China-US tensions and helps his reelection efforts. The US is trying to blame everything on China and to make US voters, who do not understand China well, believe in Washington's words. The November presidential election is driving Washington mad....

There are many countermeasures that China can take. Analysts generally believe that the international diplomatic community will not be surprised if China closes one of the US consulates in China.... The size of Chinese consulates in the US is not larger than the needs of daily routine work. None of these consulates has thousands of diplomats and employees, like the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao. It is not a secret that the US regards its consulate in Hong Kong and Macao as a fortress to attack China.

The US has opened a diplomatic battlefield ... The US presidential election is costing ... Mankind [which] desires peace, stability and development, has to pay for it ....

US presidential election driving Washington mad: Global Times editorial - Global Times

The media collectively shit themselves when Trump announced that he had been spied upon during the transition, which we later found to be 100% correct.

Based upon that and other factors, I have extremely little doubt that this action was taken for an arguably legitimate cause, yet to be revealed....I likewise have very little doubt that some, if not very many, in the media know this, and are just whipping up faux outrage and fear for the sake of it.

 

[Olde Europe]

I'm certain that using a Chinese media corporation as your singular source of information on this topic will provide you with an unbiased, complete and accurate depiction of the events taking place between these two nations. If the CCP is known for anything, it's for allowing media companies that operate in China to disseminate whatever information those companies believe to be true, with complete independence from the influence of the politically powerful.

Did the OP's declaration of the text as "slightly less-than-official Chinese English-language media" really not clue you in? Not even a little bit?

The article is by and large what the Chinese government wants the world (and the U.S. government in particular) to read and digest. The text should be read with that text's status as a quasi-official declaration of Chinese grievances in mind. No at least semi-competent reader would stumble over that, and "butt butt butt them's the Chinese ... no trust them Chinese, no!" hints at another category.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

The Trump Administration’s decision to force China to close its Houston consulate in 72 hours is an incredible provocation, which will lead to retaliation. China may close the small U.S. Wuhan consulate, but it also has the option of escalating by ordering the immediate closing of the huge U.S. consulates in Hong Kong and Macao. This would prove a decisive move against the U.S. Trump Administration’s dangerous machinations, and could be “reasonably” justified by American spying and its open support for frequent violent demonstrations in Hong Kong. It would also be devastating for Hong Kong movements for “free speech” and “democracy,” as also for the provocative waving of U.S. and British flags there and calls for “independence” ... all of which have hurt Hong Kong’s future prospects under the “One Nation, Two Systems” agreement that still is to last another 23 years, but which the U.S. is treating as essentially already ended by China’s passage of a national security law.

Here is an article that presents a slightly less-than-official Chinese English-language media response in The Global Times:

***

The US unreasonably asked China to close its consulate in Houston, giving staff there only 72 hours to leave the country. US insanity is shocking. In addition to the embassies, China and the US have five consulates in each other's country (not including the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao), according to the principle of reciprocity. The US is suddenly demanding the closing of one of the Chinese consulates, and normally, this resets the two sides' principle of reciprocity.

Isn't the US deliberately destroying the China-U.S. relations?... Once a country starts it, it is easy for the other to retaliate. It hardly benefits the country that instigates such dispute. Thus, it is difficult to explain the mind-set of the US.

Based on what the Global Times learns, the US has no justification to close the Chinese consulate in Houston.... The US State Department declared that the US closed the consulate to "protect American intellectual property and Americans' private information." This is a lame excuse.

China and the US share one of the largest bilateral trades worldwide, and personnel exchanges were very active under normal circumstances. The two sides need to set up multiple consulates to manage such exchanges. The COVID-19 has led to a huge decline in China-US personnel exchanges. By closing the Chinese consulate in Houston, is the US declaring that it no longer hopes to improve its epidemic situation and restore personnel exchanges between China and the US?

That's why we say the latest US move is crazy. Many people believe that this is another way the Trump administration creates China-US tensions and helps his reelection efforts. The US is trying to blame everything on China and to make US voters, who do not understand China well, believe in Washington's words. The November presidential election is driving Washington mad....

There are many countermeasures that China can take. Analysts generally believe that the international diplomatic community will not be surprised if China closes one of the US consulates in China.... The size of Chinese consulates in the US is not larger than the needs of daily routine work. None of these consulates has thousands of diplomats and employees, like the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao. It is not a secret that the US regards its consulate in Hong Kong and Macao as a fortress to attack China.

The US has opened a diplomatic battlefield ... The US presidential election is costing ... Mankind [which] desires peace, stability and development, has to pay for it ....

US presidential election driving Washington mad: Global Times editorial - Global Times

China fucked up. There will be consequences for that behavior.

Yeah, you go in the first wave, hero.

First wave of what? China is in no position to take us on militarily. Not even close.

If we were to leave their exports at the docks, one-third of their econ would vanish.

 

[Billy_Kinetta]

I have reported some comments above as “off topic.” Please recall this thread is about the U.S. closing of China’s consulate in Texas and its significance. Also, this thread is in the “Clean Debate Zone” forum, where discussing personal matters is also, I believe, very inappropriate.

I hope you've recognized that the action taken by trump to close the consulate in Houston is a billigant act, and one which I believe my post on Trump and his behavior is relevant.

What is a "billigant act"?

 

[CrusaderFrank]

The Trump Administration’s decision to force China to close its Houston consulate in 72 hours is an incredible provocation, which will lead to retaliation. China may close the small U.S. Wuhan consulate, but it also has the option of escalating by ordering the immediate closing of the huge U.S. consulates in Hong Kong and Macao. This would prove a decisive move against the U.S. Trump Administration’s dangerous machinations, and could be “reasonably” justified by American spying and its open support for frequent violent demonstrations in Hong Kong. It would also be devastating for Hong Kong movements for “free speech” and “democracy,” as also for the provocative waving of U.S. and British flags there and calls for “independence” ... all of which have hurt Hong Kong’s future prospects under the “One Nation, Two Systems” agreement that still is to last another 23 years, but which the U.S. is treating as essentially already ended by China’s passage of a national security law.

Here is an article that presents a slightly less-than-official Chinese English-language media response in The Global Times:

***

The US unreasonably asked China to close its consulate in Houston, giving staff there only 72 hours to leave the country. US insanity is shocking. In addition to the embassies, China and the US have five consulates in each other's country (not including the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao), according to the principle of reciprocity. The US is suddenly demanding the closing of one of the Chinese consulates, and normally, this resets the two sides' principle of reciprocity.

Isn't the US deliberately destroying the China-U.S. relations?... Once a country starts it, it is easy for the other to retaliate. It hardly benefits the country that instigates such dispute. Thus, it is difficult to explain the mind-set of the US.

Based on what the Global Times learns, the US has no justification to close the Chinese consulate in Houston.... The US State Department declared that the US closed the consulate to "protect American intellectual property and Americans' private information." This is a lame excuse.

China and the US share one of the largest bilateral trades worldwide, and personnel exchanges were very active under normal circumstances. The two sides need to set up multiple consulates to manage such exchanges. The COVID-19 has led to a huge decline in China-US personnel exchanges. By closing the Chinese consulate in Houston, is the US declaring that it no longer hopes to improve its epidemic situation and restore personnel exchanges between China and the US?

That's why we say the latest US move is crazy. Many people believe that this is another way the Trump administration creates China-US tensions and helps his reelection efforts. The US is trying to blame everything on China and to make US voters, who do not understand China well, believe in Washington's words. The November presidential election is driving Washington mad....

There are many countermeasures that China can take. Analysts generally believe that the international diplomatic community will not be surprised if China closes one of the US consulates in China.... The size of Chinese consulates in the US is not larger than the needs of daily routine work. None of these consulates has thousands of diplomats and employees, like the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macao. It is not a secret that the US regards its consulate in Hong Kong and Macao as a fortress to attack China.

The US has opened a diplomatic battlefield ... The US presidential election is costing ... Mankind [which] desires peace, stability and development, has to pay for it ....

US presidential election driving Washington mad: Global Times editorial - Global Times

Xi and the ChiCom greatest allies are the former democrats, now known as the American Taliban. They all want the USA destroyed

 

[CrusaderFrank]

They’re burning documents in the courtyard.

Yes, of course they are. They also only have 72 hours to remove all their electronic equipment, special encryption machines and advanced telecommunications devices! There are also tens of thousands of Chinese students at Universities and businesses that often use this consulate. This is insane.

I would love to see Trump knocked for a loop over this ridiculous electoral posturing. I don’t really want to see this nonsense escalated, but imagine what would be burned in the Hong Kong U.S. consulate’s courtyard ... if China forced them to close in ... say 24 hours!

Wahhh wahh the poor ChiComs!

 

[EvilCat Breath]

This particular consular office has been identified as a major spying installation.

 

[Oddball]

Chinese burning documents....Move along, nothing to see here...

 

[Crixus]

They’re burning documents in the courtyard.

And back home in China they are burning bodies. Had you heard this 11 years ago you would have been cheering this decision. This will have zero impact on anything. Fuck China.