US consulate in Chengdu shut after China orders closure

CHENGDU: Beijing announced the United States consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu was closed on Monday, after it ordered the facility be shut in retaliation for China being ousted from its consulate in Houston, Texas.

Police in Chengdu restricted access to the area around the consulate on Monday morning, and four officials in personal protective gear could be seen walking towards the consulate and taking it into possession.

China ordered the closure of the facility on Friday after Washington last week gave China 72 hours to vacate its consulate in Houston, in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

Chinese state media shared a video on its Weibo account of the American flag in front of the consulate in Chengdu being lowered. On Sunday night, a crane was seen entering the consulate compound and hoisting at least one container onto a large truck.

On Saturday evening, a worker was seen using tools including a hammer and chisel to remove fittings around a plaque outside the main entrance.

US-China relations have plunged to their worst in decades over a range of disputes, from trade and technology to the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and its clampdown on Hong Kong.