China Orders Closure of Chengdu U.S. Consulate in Retaliatory Move

China has ordered U.S. authorities to close their consulate in the city of Chengdu in retaliation for the Trump administration shutting down the Chinese consulate in Houston earlier this week. China’s foreign ministry announced the news in a statement Friday, saying it had “informed the U.S. Embassy in China of its decision to withdraw its consent for the establishment and operation of the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu.” “The Ministry also made specific requirements on the ceasing of all operations and events by the Consulate General,” the statement said. The move comes three days after the Trump administration ordered the Chinese consulate in Houston to shut down within 72 hours, a move the Chinese foreign ministry called an “erroneous decision.”