Lebanese Ministry of Information
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On Wednesday, and in the latest escalation between the two countries, the United States ordered Chinese consulate in Houston to close its doors within 72 hours. A day before the announcement, unknown people were filmed setting what appeared to be paper on fire outside the consulate. Emergency services were called to the building but Houston police say they were not granted access.
Why is the Houston consulate closing?
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the decision was taken because China was “stealing” intellectual property. He explained that the Chinese Communist Party was stealing “not just American intellectual property… but European intellectual property too… costing hundreds of thousands of jobs”.
“We are setting out clear expectations for how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave,” he added. “And when they don’t, we’re going to take actions that protect the American people, protect our security, our national security, and also protect our economy and jobs.”
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said it was “always possible” he would order the closing of more Chinese consulates in the country.
More of a politically driven move
Lawmakers and experts said strong measures are needed to counter China’s cyberattacks and espionage but some considered the closing of Houston consulate as a politically driven move and very carefully calibrated aim. Indeed, White House officials have secretly designed a strategy of getting tough on China to boost President Donald Trump’s sagging poll numbers before the elections in November.
Former assistant US trade representative for China, Jeff Moon noted that the State Department said the Houston order was a response to Chinese intellectual property theft and said that raised questions about why only one consulate was targeted.
“If that were the real reason, the US would close the San Francisco consulate, which covers Silicon Valley,” said Moon, who was among those who suggested politics might be at work. “This action is red meat for Trump supporters who are eager to retaliate against China and divert attention from Trump’s disastrous Covid-19 policy.”
Senator Angus King told CNN that he was not aware of any “recent intelligence of particular Chinese activities, either with regard to our elections, or the whole confrontation between our two countries — theft of intellectual property” that may have driven the decision.
“There certainly is a good reason to confront China. My concern is, escalating this tension, is it really about confronting China, or does it have something to do with an election in four months?” he added.
China’s reaction
The move was described by Beijing as a “political provocation” and foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying took to Twitter to describe the reasons given by the US for the closing of the consulate as “unbelievably ridiculous”. She also warned that China will “react with firm countermeasures” if this “erroneous decision” is not reversed.
Chinese state media outlet the Global Times even ran a poll on which US consulate to close in response to the closing of Chinese consulate in Houston. Beijing officials stated that the US has far more staff at its missions in China than vice versa.
The Chinese foreign ministry has also posted a warning to Chinese students in the US, asking them to “be on guard” as “US law enforcement agencies have stepped up arbitrary interrogations, harassment, confiscation of personal belongings and detention targeting Chinese international students in the US”.
Directorate of Lebanese Studies and Publications
Romy Harfouche
