US Orders China Consulate Shut Down After 'Massive Illegal Spying'; China's Response Sends Up Smoke Over American City
After a sharp American accusation of spying, it appears the Communist Party of China ordered a fiery document purge that sent up smoke in a major American city.
The apparent burning happened after the Chinese consulate in Houston was handed a shutdown order from the U.S. State Department on Tuesday, The New York Times reported.
According to the State Department, the order came after repeated Chinese acts of espionage, including “massive illegal spying and influence operations.”
“We are setting out clear expectations as to how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a news conference Wednesday. “And when they don’t, we are going to take actions that protect the American people, protect our security, our national security, and also protect our economy and jobs.”
Consulate employees were soon seen in the building’s courtyard with burn barrels, the smoke from the fires catching the attention of nearby residents:
This video shared with us by a viewer who lives next to the Consulate General of China in #Houston shows fire and activity in the courtyard of the building.
DETAILS SO FAR: https://t.co/2cOeKoap96 pic.twitter.com/0myxe6HIlC— KPRC2Tulsi (@KPRC2Tulsi) July 22, 2020
A video captured by our crew outside the Consulate General of China in Houston shows people hosing down what appear to be flaming open containers in the courtyard of the property.
DETAILS: https://t.co/2cOeKoap96 pic.twitter.com/ToQitHjy2T— KPRC2Tulsi (@KPRC2Tulsi) July 22, 2020
Firefighters were eventually seen, though a witness told KPRC-TV that they were not allowed to go into the consulate building itself.
Owing to diplomatic missions’ special status, local authorities generally need permission before entering.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin demanded the United States revoke the shutdown order, warning China “will certainly make legitimate and necessary reactions” if the decision stands.
“For some time,” Wang said, “the United States government has been shifting the blame to China with stigmatization and unwarranted attacks against China’s social system, harassing Chinese diplomatic and consular staff in America, intimidating and interrogating Chinese students and confiscating their personal electrical devices, even detaining them without cause.”
The U.S. shutdown order gives a Friday deadline, by which point the Chinese are expected to vacate the building. With days to spare, embassy officials have plenty of time to thoroughly incinerate any incriminating evidence.
The State Department’s decision comes as tensions between China and the U.S. reach worrying new highs.
Relations between our two nations have tanked since China’s deception about the coronavirus first came to light. The communist giant’s history of trade abuse against the U.S. only worsened the situation.
The Communist Party of China’s espionage network in America is set to become the next big point of contention between the two superpowers.
Already, it seems China is preparing for a future military standoff with the United States by ramping up production of next-generation fighter jets and hypersonic ship-killing missiles.
With China’s abuse of our free society coming to an abrupt halt, it appears the ruling communist party has lost a valuable edge as a second Cold War looks more possible than ever.
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