The tension between the US and China continues to increase rapidly. On Thursday, the Trump administration has once again taken a big step against China. Under this, the US has ordered the closure of Chinese consulate in Houston (Texas). China has been given 72 hours to shut it down. Under the order, China will have to close its consulate by Friday. On the other hand, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has alleged that the Chinese consulate in Houston was a hub of spying.
Giving information about the order, a US State Department spokesman said that the US has decided to close this commercial embassy to protect its intellectual property and personal information of its citizens. Not only this, the US has also alleged that the Chinese consulate was a 'hub of spying'.
At the same time, after this order, China has also taken a tough stand. China has once again threatened the US administration to retaliate. Let us tell you that these two countries have been consistently acting strongly against each other for some time. In response to this order, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has called for the decision to be canceled, calling the decision completely unfair.
In Copenhagen on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US knows very well how to deal with China's Communist Party. Mike Pompeo said that if China does not desist from its antics then the US will have to take strict action. He also alleged that the Chinese consulate in Houston was a hub of spying. Apart from this, David R. Stillwell, an expert in East Asia at the US State Department, says that for the past six months China has been trying to steal the vaccine information related to the coronavirus. However, he admitted that he did not have proofs of this at the moment.
The US alleges that China is trying to target laboratories through hackers where efforts are being made to develop the COVID-19 vaccine. A US State Department spokesperson said in a press conference that China should not try to intimidate by violating US sovereignty, this is not acceptable by any means. Let us tell you that China has five consulates in the US. While giving a statement on this decision, China has said that this will further strain relations between the two countries.