WASHINGTON: The US has ordered the Chinese Consulate in Houston, Texas, shut down due to the persistent problem of Bejing’s theft of U.S. intellectual property, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.
Pompeo said at a news conference in Denmark, “We are setting out clear expectations as to how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave.”
“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,” VOA quoted Pompeo has saying.
China was earlier given an ultimatum until Friday afternoon to close the Houston facility.
It has about 60 employees, and President Donald Trump said more consulate closures were “always possible”, the VOA said.
The instruction came a day after US President Donald Trump acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic that originated in China is likely to worsen in the United States, the VOA report said.
Pompeo said China’s Houston operations had a wide impact.
(With inputs from VAO)
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