The US is accusing China of illegal hacking activity and has now ordered their consulate in Houston to close. The Chinese Foreign Ministry called the Tuesday evening order an “unprecedented escalation” in US conduct.
Morgan Ortagus, the spokesperson for the State Department, told reporters the move comes “in order to protect American intellectual property and Americans’ private information.” However, she gave no further details than that into why the consulate must cease all activity.
Relations between the US and China have soured recently amid accusations of Chinese spying and an ongoing trade war. Tuesday, following the order to close the consulate, video taken near the Chinese diplomatic building showed Chinese diplomats in the courtyard burning something. Authorities believe they may have been burning documents related to the consulate’s activities.
Beijing is far from pleased about this turn of events. The Chinese government posted on its official social media channels, underscoring the situation with characteristic dramatic flair. They called the move a “political provocation unilaterally launched by the US side, which seriously violates international law, basic norms governing international relations and the bilateral consular agreement between China and the US.”
The Chinese government alleges that the US has been “bullying” consular staff. Further, they accused the US of confiscating Chinese students’ electronics and even detaining Chinese nationals without cause. They offered no evidence to support these claims. The US, meanwhile, has recently criticized China over its handling of the novel coronavirus. Other criticisms include human rights violations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, is currently in Europe. His goals are to rally European leaders to taking a harsher stance against the Chinese government. Pompeo has noted that the Administration has outlined “our clear expectations for how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave.
“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,” Pompeo stated. This news comes on the heels of Pompeo floating the suggestion that the US may ban the Chinese social media. For instance, the app Tik Tok is owned by a Chinese company.
Tensions have escalated since the novel coronavirus pandemic. Some within the US have blamed China, since the outbreak started in Wuhan. Meanwhile, millions of Americans are out of work and searching terms like “seized car auctions near me” to keep their finances as tight as possible.
