On Friday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province in southwestern China. In a statement, Beijing said the move was a direct retaliation for the U.S. abruptly closing the Chinese consulate in Houston. The statement did not specify a timeframe to leave the consulate, but the Chinese state media outlet the Global Times reports that the consulate must close within 72 hours, similar to the order given by the U.S. government regarding China’s Houston consulate.
