US gives China 72 hours to shut Houston consulate, Trump says other closures possible
Amid accusations of spying and worsening bilateral relations, the Trump administration has given China 72 hours to close its consulate in Houston.US-China ties have worsened sharply this year over issues: from the coronavirus and Huawei to China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and clampdown on Hong Kong with its national security law.The U.S. State Department has said that the Chinese mission in Houston was being closed “to protect American intellectual property and Americans’ private information.”At a news briefing, President Donald Trump said that it was “always possible” other Chinese missions could be closed too. “We thought there was a fire in one that we did close,” Trump said. “I guess they were burning documents, or burning papers, and I wonder what that’s all about.”Ov