Beijing: China on Friday ordered the closure of the US consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu.
China’s retaliation came for America shuttering Beijing’s diplomatic mission in Houston this week.
China had threatened to retaliate against the consulate closure if the US did not withdraw its decision.
Tensions have soared on multiple fronts between the world’s two biggest economies, deteriorating further after Washington ordered the closure of the Houston consulate on Tuesday within 72 hours.
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In its statement on Friday, China urged US to backtrack and “create the necessary conditions for bilateral relations to return to normal”.
However, The United States (US) cited Chinese theft of intellectual property for the closure, which came a day after the Justice Department unveiled the indictment of two Chinese nationals for allegedly hacking hundreds of companies and attempting to steal coronavirus vaccine research.
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