CHENGDU, China (AP) — The U.S. closed its consulate in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu on Monday, a victim of the rising tensions between the global powers.
China ordered the mission closed in retaliation for a U.S. order to shut down the Chinese Consulate in Houston.
The tit-for-tat closings marked a significant escalation in the multiple disputes between the countries over a range of issues, including trade, technology, security and human rights.
A State Department statement expressed disappointment, saying the consulate “has stood at the center of our relations with the people in Western China, including Tibet, for 35 years."
