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

[EvilCat Breath]

The chinese embassy in San Francisco is harboring a wanted spy. It will be closed next.

 

[Tom Paine 1949]

The chinese embassy in San Francisco is harboring a wanted spy. It will be closed next.

There is probably not a major U.S. consulate in China or any other large country in the world that does not have permanently stationed CIA spies based within it working under light cover. Chinese embassies are run in similar manner, no doubt. But the vast number of consulate personnel take care of necessary business, tourist and visa work.

What you are apparently referring to is a case of a Chinese biologist working at the University of California, whose home was searched and who apparently fled to her local consulate (and may still be in it). According to reports she is one of many scholars issued visas who are now being harassed and accused of having unreported connections to Chinese military or other suspect state institutions. Even ordinary members of China’s 90-million-strong Communist Party are now regularly being denied visas to visit or work in the U.S.

See report here: China-US row: Fugitive researcher 'hiding in San Francisco consulate' — BBC News

I doubt the San Francisco consulate will be closed, although anything is possible before the coming elections. A lot may depend on how the Chinese respond to the outrageous sudden closing and expulsion of Chinese diplomats at the Houston consulate. As I said, the Chinese may, but probably will not, decide to close the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong, which reportedly has over a thousand employees and is deeply involved in spying operations against China, and in helping Hong Kongers deeply involved in (sometimes violent) anti-Chinese government demonstrations.

 

[Mac-7]

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

There is an ancient chinese proverb that says “The man who uses chinese communist newspaper for his news is sure to be misinformed”

 

[Mac-7]

The chinese embassy in San Francisco is harboring a wanted spy. It will be closed next.

There is probably not a major U.S. consulate in China or any other large country in the world that does not have permanently stationed CIA spies based within it working under light cover. Chinese embassies are run in similar manner, no doubt. But the vast number of consulate personnel take care of necessary business, tourist and visa work.

What you are apparently referring to is a case of a Chinese biologist working at the University of California, whose home was searched and who apparently fled to her local consulate (and may still be in it). According to reports she is one of many scholars issued visas who are now being harassed and accused of having unreported connections to Chinese military or other suspect state institutions. Even ordinary members of China’s 90-million-strong Communist Party are now regularly being denied visas to visit or work in the U.S.

See report here: China-US row: Fugitive researcher 'hiding in San Francisco consulate' — BBC News

I doubt the San Francisco consulate will be closed, although anything is possible before the coming elections. A lot may depend on how the Chinese respond to the outrageous sudden closing and expulsion of Chinese diplomats at the Houston consulate. As I said, the Chinese may, but probably will not, decide to close the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong, which reportedly has over a thousand employees and is deeply involved in spying operations against China, and in helping Hong Kongers deeply involved in (sometimes violent) anti-Chinese government demonstrations.

We need to severely limit chinese student visas to the US and research positions after graduation

 

[HaShev]

They refuse to leave?
Can they be arrested for Arson?
They technically were no longer protected by diplomatic immunity when they lit it up.

 

[Tom Paine 1949]

China orders U.S. to shut Chengdu consulate, retaliating ...

“BEIJING (Reuters) - China ordered the United States to close its consulate in the city of Chengdu on Friday, responding to a U.S. demand this week that China close its Houston consulate, as relations between the world’s two largest economies deteriorate.... The order to close the consulate in Chengdu, in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, was seen as roughly reciprocal in terms of scale and impact, continuing China’s recent practice of like-for-like responses to U.S. actions.

The consulate was given 72 hours to close, or until 10 a.m. on Monday, the editor of the Global Times newspaper said on Twitter....

“Chinese social media users, who had denounced the U.S. order to close the Houston mission, applauded the response. The comment, ‘let’s renovate it into a hotpot restaurant!’, a reference to a popular dish in Chengdu, got 100,000 likes on the Weibo account...”

China orders U.S. to shut Chengdu consulate, retaliating for Houston

 

[sakinago]

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

Stealing tech isn’t a provocation, but the response to it is? Invading Hong Kong isn’t a provocation? Claiming the South China Sea isn’t a provocation? Claiming our ally Taiwan isn’t a provocation? Forcibly shaving heads of Muslims and stuffing them on trains, and sterilizing them against their will isn’t provocation? China’s been provoking the rest of the world for decades now, and they’ve turned it up to 11 the past 7 years. They did so because the world has been turning for a blind eye to their provocation. They get caught red stealing vaccine IP, and what, we’re just supposed to say “hey man don’t do that”? China can either start acting like a mutual trade partner and beneficial actor in the world like every other developed country, or we can continue to let them have their way and slowly watch the new third reich emerge. China is a fascist country, they are not communist, they are doing fascism way better than the Nazis. Either we address that now, or wait for China to grow their influence, power, and aggression and become a dire threat to the free world at a later time.

 

[petro]

Caring what China thinks about it goes to 799 of my list of 800 things I care about.
They would like nothing more than to become the new world power. Their agression by building false islands, provoking neighboring countries, stealing tech and innovation, using minority citizens and prisoners in violation of Human Rights as worker slaves for corporations from America, buying up businesses in the US, their hacking and social media influence to further divide Americans,
China can frankly go to Hell. They are an enemy and fully act like it.
I go out of my way to avoid ANY product stating Made In China.

 

[Mac-7]

China ordered the United States to close its consulate in the city of Chengdu on Friday,

Why does that bother you?

 

[Mac-7]

China’s been provoking the rest of the world for decades now,

Dont forget Tibet which china is illegally occupying

and border clashes with india

 

[Tom Paine 1949]

China ordered the United States to close its consulate in the city of Chengdu on Friday,

Why does that bother you?

It doesn’t bother me. It was a very even-handed and appropriate reaction to the Trump Administration’s provocation. China forced the closure in 3-days time exactly. Can imagine the destruction of equipment in Chengdu consulate, the panicky reaction of American diplomats and their families. No escalation but a sober reaction. Sad to say it was necessary. Don’t like the politicsl theater, the breakdown in diplomatic relations which will hurt business, tourism, student exchange, all things needed to keep peace and encourage reforms in China.

 

[wamose]

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

There is an ancient chinese proverb that says “The man who uses chinese communist newspaper for his news is sure to be misinformed”

Would that be the NYT or the WaPo?

 

[harmonica]

how many consulates do they need????????? 5 plus the embassy!!!!

 

[wamose]

We need to completely decouple from these communist bastards as soon as possible. China is a losing deal for every country on earth. They're bad people.

 

[Olde Europe]

It doesn’t bother me. It was a very even-handed and appropriate reaction to the Trump Administration’s provocation. China forced the closure in 3-days time exactly. Can imagine the destruction of equipment in Chengdu consulate, the panicky reaction of American diplomats and their families. No escalation but a sober reaction. Sad to say it was necessary. Don’t like the politicsl theater, the breakdown in diplomatic relations which will hurt business, tourism, student exchange, all things needed to keep peace and encourage reforms in China.

Let's say, it was a standard response. No creativity, and hurtful. It was necessitated by one thing only, and this is to avoid "losing face", probably the stupidest of all male stupidities. China's accusation, someone acted in ways not in line with their diplomatic status, closely mimicking the U.S. accusation, is just boneheaded, and everyone knows it. Consulates are centers for information gathering, and everywhere and by everyone. Whoever goes into hyperventilation mode over this is either lying or monumentally uninformed.

Whatever...

What you can see on this thread, at least, is proof of your contention that a trumped up pissing contest with China is going to be Trump's latest campaign ploy, and the faithful (at least) are all in, denouncing China for aspiring to become a leading nation in the world, a status to which the faithful feel eternally entitled. That in turn reveals the entire China spat as the latest meme of the White grievance industry, running under the theme of "Those people trying to take something away from Us, the virtuous people!" Because "Our imperialism is always on the side of the angels!"

As so often, there's a funny side to this. Hilarious, really. Domestically, our righty friends wouldn't trust the federal government any farther than they could throw it, the most brutal, callous and corrupt force in the history of humankind. As concerns foreign policy, that exact same government invariably treats others with utmost respect, has nothing but principles, the law, and universal well-being in mind, and is therefore everyone's sucker, and being taken advantage of.

 

[Mac-7]

Don’t like the politicsl theater, the breakdown in diplomatic relations which will hurt business, tourism, student exchange, all things needed to keep peace and encourage reforms in China.

You are a loyal chinese apologist

I hope student exchange -meaning chinese students attending our universities - does suffer

in fact we should end it altogether

and the same goes for business

we have become too dependent on china

 

[Mac-7]

Would that be the NYT or the WaPo?

The American version of that proverb says the same about WAPO and the NYT

 

[sakinago]

China’s been provoking the rest of the world for decades now,

Dont forget Tibet which china is illegally occupying

and border clashes with india

Seriously, like the list is so long for China, I can’t even keep up. They are fascist, and have been doing fascism way better than the nazis for decades now. “Never again” is complete bullshit. It’s happening right before our very eyes, and we just keep going about our day. Like at least in WW2, we didn’t really know what was going on in the concentration camps until our troops got there. We have a pretty clear picture now. The fault lies solely at the feet of our media. They’ve reported on it here and there but they’d rather scream bloody murder about federal LE lawfully protecting federal buildings, but not ring the bell about forceable sterilization and people being loaded into trains like cattle. A straight up evil extermination is happening and we’re turning a blind eye. It makes me sick, I’m officially ashamed of my spoiled country self absorbed with the fact people own super yachts in a country where the poorest are still in the upper 5% wealthiest in the world. America deserves what she has coming to her. If we want to ignore this evil, we’re going to see a far worse evil befall us.