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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    China Houston Consulate Closed

    China Vows Retaliation After U.S. Shuts Down Houston Consulate

    Bloomberg News
    July 22, 2020, 4:10 PM




    China Vows Retaliation After U.S. Shuts Down Houston Consulate(Bloomberg)

    China vowed retaliation after the U.S. forced the closure of its Houston consulate, in one of the biggest blows to diplomatic ties between the two countries in decades.

    The U.S. government gave China three days to close its consulate in America’s fourth-most populous city in an “unprecedented escalation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing Wednesday in Beijing. China planned to “react with firm countermeasures” if the Trump administration didn’t “revoke this erroneous decision,” Wang said.

    The State Department subsequently confirmed in a statement that it had ordered the consulate closed “to protect American intellectual property and Americans’ private information.” The agency said international agreements required diplomats to respect the laws and regulations of the host nation and not interfere in its internal affairs.

    Futures on the S&P 500 Index dropped with European stocks after China’s announcement, while Treasuries edged higher and the dollar erased a loss. The yuan weakened and Hong Kong shares deepened their decline. Gold held near $1,850 an ounce and silver retreated from its highest level in about seven years.

    The U.S. has clashed with China over everything from trade and 5G networks to territorial disputes and responsibility for the pandemic. The Justice Department on Tuesday accused two Chinese hackers of working for Beijing to steal or try to steal terabytes of data, including coronavirus research, from Western companies in 11 nations.

    Trey McArver, partner at consultancy Trivium China, said Beijing would struggle to calibrate its response without risking further escalation.
    “We have seen a step change in U.S. government actions toward China over the past couple of weeks,” McArver said. “The closing of the consulate is already big news in China, so the government will need to respond.”

    The statements came hours after Houston police and firefighters descended on the consulate following witness reports that papers were being burned outside in open containers, the Houston Chronicle and two local TV stations reported, citing local police. In videos posted online by local media outlets in Houston, fires could be seen in multiple containers, with smoke rising into the sky.

    While the diplomatic staff of the U.S. and China have often found themselves at the center of disputes, the trend has been toward expanding ties since the two sides formally established relations more than four decades ago. Recently, the U.S. and China have been bickering over Chinese demands to control the health screening of returning American diplomats who left the country in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.

    Houston TV stations KPRC and KHOU said local firefighters weren’t allowed inside the complex to inspect the situation, while KHOU said the fires were later extinguished. The Houston Chronicle said no injuries were reported.

    On Wednesday, China accused the U.S. of harassing diplomatic staff and intimidating Chinese students, confiscating personal electrical devices and detaining them without cause. Chinese diplomatic missions and personnel also recently received bomb and death threats, it added. In the statement, China said “infiltration and interference is never in the genes and tradition of China’s foreign policy,” without referring to anything specific.

    “China strongly condemns such an outrageous and unjustified move which will sabotage China-U.S. relations,” the Foreign Ministry said. “We urge the U.S. to immediately withdraw its erroneous decision. Otherwise China will make legitimate and necessary reactions.”
    Majestically enthroned amid the vulgar herd

  2. #2
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    This seems a really dumb move to me. To be expected, I suppose- and of course tit for tat will follow.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    This seems a really dumb move to me. To be expected, I suppose- and of course tit for tat will follow.
    Disagree. A good move. About time they were held to account the thieving spying bastards.

  4. #4
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    Exactly how does closing a diplomatic Consulate hold the 'Thieving spying bastards' to account?

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    Thailand Expat raycarey's Avatar
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    IMO this was a largely symbolic and inconsequential move that will likely result in a similar type of retaliation....at which point trump won't escalate because his sole remaining hope for reelection is an economic recovery.

    essentially it was done for domestic consumption.

    caveat....of course this is the trump administration so there's always the chance that things could spin wildly out of control.

    btw, it's symbolic because houston was the first chinese consulate in the US....opened in the late 70s.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    Exactly how does closing a diplomatic Consulate hold the 'Thieving spying bastards' to account?
    Reading between the lines it's obvious this particular consulate has been found to be complicit in thieving and spying and therefore shut down therefore being held to account.
    The U.S. has been far too lenient for far too long with this BS. It is their blatant intention to steal state and industrial secrets where and when they can. It seems they got caught and are being punished. Even though we are not privy to the details.
    “If we stop testing right now we’d have very few cases, if any.” Donald J Trump.

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    If that is the case (and there is yet to be any indication it is), the typical response is to expel some 'Diplomats' considered to be spies- Military attaches for example.
    It seems like more clownish trumpism to me, using finger pointing and the ever versatile China or Russia card to try to detract from the mounting list of failures of his administration. just amazes me how many people fall for it, every time. No different in UK & oz.

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    ...there was some indication on Bloomberg TV that the US is closing its HK consulate...

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    Maybe. Another dumb move, it it happens. Like shooting yourself in the foot!

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    Another dumb move, it it happens
    ...I expect a continuing series of dumb moves that end with Biden's inauguration...after which the new president will spend the next 4 years undoing tRump's destructive nonsense...
    Last edited by tomcat; 23-07-2020 at 06:12 AM.

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    If that is the case (and there is yet to be any indication it is), the typical response is to expel some 'Diplomats' considered to be spies- Military attaches for example..
    It's not the embassy it's a consulate.

    They are next to disposable.

    Cujo is right, the chinkies were probably running one of their spying operations out of it.

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    were probably
    Only a grade 4 event then, not like a "almost certain" event.

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post
    Only a grade 4 event then, not like a "almost certain" event.
    Well they get up to so much no good it's hard to pick a single offence.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    This seems a really dumb move to me. To be expected, I suppose- and of course tit for tat will follow.
    It's a very good move. actually. The Houston consulate gave no value t the US

    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    Exactly how does closing a diplomatic Consulate hold the 'Thieving spying bastards' to account?
    If this were the case then consular officials, most probably belonging to the various intelligence services, can't work with impunity both from a secure location (consulate) nor their personal activities due to diplomatic immunity.

    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    If that is the case (and there is yet to be any indication it is), the typical response is to expel some 'Diplomats' considered to be spies- Military attaches for example.
    Two totally different things. Consulates don't have military attaches and the like. This is a subject I know quite a bit about.
    Closing a mission is a normal thing to do, usually from the sender's perspective. In this case China was asked to close one in an inconsequential economic territory, but a very valuable technological area.

    Now China is showing its usual whiny bitch self when it's not allowed to function as it wishes

  15. #15
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    No link but apparently they've been busy burning documents in the backyard.
    If they've nothing to hide........

    China vows retaliation after US ordered its Houston consulate closed within 72 hours

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cujo View Post
    If they've nothing to hide........
    Does make one wonder, but is that not standard?

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...there was some indication on Bloomberg TV that the US is closing its HK consulate...
    One wonders if China's "identic note" to ameristan, had anything to do with that "indication".

    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    were probably running one of their spying operations out of it.
    Sauce for the Goose ....

    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    The Houston consulate gave no value t the US
    I suspect the ameristani HK Consulate is somewhat more "valuable", along with the British Embassy in HK.
    Last edited by OhOh; 23-07-2020 at 11:25 AM.

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat jabir's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    Exactly how does closing a diplomatic Consulate hold the 'Thieving spying bastards' to account?
    Symbolic as Reachy said, a token smack to confirm the US authorities know what the Chinese are up to, but nothing really changes, next month or two it'll reopen with business as usual stealing/spying/doing what they do best. One day even our often distanced leaders might realise that China is and always will be our ideological enemy.

    Won't be easy or cheap, and quite painful for a decade or so, but China is too competitive and economically powerful to dismiss while the west have to relocate it's manufacturing and supply hubs in more friendly nations.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post
    ameristani
    Perhaps I shall begin to refer to China as FascistChink.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...I expect a continuing series of dumb moves that end with Biden's inauguration...after which the new president will spend the next 4 years undoing tRump's destructive nonsense...
    If Biden wins which is highly unlikely, he will live in the WH and be rolled out for the occasional set speech with preset Q&A but he is incapable of running the country, so key decisions will be made and the country will be run by others; markets will dive, there will be moves to dismantle the electoral college, borders will be wide open with citizenship handed out to whoever wants it, and within his 2 terms which is guaranteed if he lives that long and cooperates with the puppeteers the US will effectively turn into a one-party state.

    We are watching a coup, and saddest part is half the world think it's a good thing. Imo a catastrophe, and getting rid of Trump is not enough compensation.

  21. #21
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    probably running one of their spying operations out of it.
    It appears Hong Kong and Macau are awash with "diplomats" and spies or as some label:

    Possibly all of the Phat's disappearing "businesses" are here in this list?

    "
    Consulates in Hong Kong




    Consulates in Macau




    https://www.embassypages.com/hongkong

    https://www.embassypages.com/macau

    There does appear to be an awful lot of of them.

    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    Perhaps I shall begin to refer to China as
    Call what you will, many here do already choose a, from their perspective, appropriate tag e.g.:

    Quote Originally Posted by Cujo View Post
    thieving spying bastards


    [QUOTE=Cujo;4138259]this particular consulate has been found to be complicit in thieving and spying /QUOTE]

    One presumes ameristan and yourself have evidence to publicly post, of such things happening in Houston? Or is it just your opinion?
    Last edited by OhOh; 23-07-2020 at 11:11 AM.
    A tray full of GOLD is not worth a moment in time.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post
    One wonders if the Xi government warning, had anything to do with that "indication".
    Why would it. You can be sure if the CCP wanted to close a consulate they would have made a big whiny bitch about it

    Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post
    It appears Hong Kong and Macau are awash with "diplomats" and spies or as some label:

    Possibly all of the Phat's disappearing "businesses" are here in this list?
    You were quite stupid with your holocaust photo and comparison and now you've take it it a new level. Simply listing consulates that operate in HK doesn't equate to spying, cretin. Your usual obfuscation and deflection and wahtaboutism is as ridiculous as anything you post in defense of your homeland.

  23. #23
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Simply listing consulates that operate in xxx doesn't equate to spying,
    It does appear to be a given for some here.

    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    then consular officials, most probably belonging to the various intelligence services,

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by OhOh View Post
    It does appear to be a given for some here.
    No, there's not. There's also a difference in knowing how to communicate in English and purposely - or not - not understanding it.

    Read again, slowly this time. You'll be shrewd enough to know the difference

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    Perhaps I shall begin to refer to China as FascistChink.
    No dear chap, it's Chinastan.

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