US consulate in Chengdu officially closed

The US Consulate in Chengdu was officially closed Monday, July 27, at 10:00 a.m. local time (02:00 GMT) in accordance with the Chinese side’s order, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Beijing then announced that it had taken the premises under its control.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced Monday, July 27, in a statement, the official closure of the United States consulate in Chengdu (southwest).

“Monday at 10:00 a.m., at the request of China, the United States Consulate General in Chengdu closed,” the document said.

The statement said that the Chinese authorities concerned then entered through the main entrance and took possession of the premises.

The star-spangled banner was lowered at the consulate around 6:18 a.m.

The consulate was opened in 1985 to cover southwestern China, including the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, as well as the Tibet Autonomous Region and the city of Chongqing.

A “legitimate and necessary response”

On July 21, the United States ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas. US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Washington had taken the step “to protect US intellectual property.”

China’s foreign ministry called the move a political provocation and promised a response.

On July 24, he ordered the closure of the US consulate in Chengdu. Chinese diplomacy called the measure a “legitimate and necessary response”

The responsibility lies entirely with Washington, Beijing said.

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