Closure of US-China Diplomatic Missions... Worst-Case Scenario Raises Fears of Severed Diplomatic Relations

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[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Concerns are emerging that the conflict between the United States and China, which has led to the closure of diplomatic missions, may escalate into the worst-case scenario of severing diplomatic relations.

In particular, the Chinese Consulate General in Houston, whose closure was demanded by the U.S., holds symbolic significance as the first consulate established immediately after Deng Xiaoping, who played a pivotal role in establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries, visited the U.S. in 1979. Some view this move as an attempt to highlight the political incompetence of the Chinese leadership.

U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement on the same day to close the Chinese Consulate General in Houston, followed by the possibility of additional consulate closures within the U.S., is widely interpreted as an effort to further pressure China. This suggests that the administration is considering even the worst-case scenario.

Experts have also expressed concerns that the U.S.-China conflict is spiraling into a severe crisis.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 22nd (local time), citing Professor Zheng Xiaohua of Renmin University of China, that "if relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate, the next step will be severing diplomatic ties." The Chinese state-run Global Times quoted Xin Qiang, head of the American Studies Center at Fudan University, saying that the U.S. actions are unprecedented in history and that it seems nearly impossible for the Trump administration to improve Sino-American relations.

Trust between the two countries has already hit rock bottom. The U.S. State Department explained that the closure of the Chinese Consulate General in Houston was to protect American intellectual property and personal information. This implies that the Chinese consulate was involved in stealing U.S. intellectual property and collecting personal data of Americans. The large-scale burning of documents and papers at the Houston consulate is also suspected to be an attempt to destroy related evidence.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is visiting Denmark, did not specifically mention the decision to close the Chinese consulate but reiterated allegations that China steals intellectual property from the U.S. and Europe, defending the U.S. government's decision. He told reporters, "What you have seen from President Trump's actions is exactly in this context," emphasizing, "We will continue down this path."

China's stance on the consulate closures is very firm. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the U.S. demand to close diplomatic missions as a serious violation of international law, fundamental principles of international relations, and the Sino-American consular treaty, calling it a political provocation aimed at deliberately damaging Sino-American relations. Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warned, "If you look only at the number of missions and consulates, the U.S. has far more than China," adding, "The U.S. should not shoot itself in the foot."

Chinese media view the U.S. dissatisfaction as stemming from China's quarantine and prevention measures against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). White House advisor Callan Conway told a media outlet, "President Trump remains displeased with China's inadequate response to the COVID-19 crisis, which has resulted in over 140,000 deaths in the U.S. alone."

Since the U.S. has demanded the closure of a symbolic consulate, China is also expected to soon decide to close the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan. The U.S. consulate in Wuhan holds symbolic significance for the U.S. as it was the first place where an American consul set foot in China.

The possibility of military conflict between the two countries is also being raised. The Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 23rd that a military clash between the U.S. and China could occur in Taiwan. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen advocates for Taiwan's independence, and the U.S. actively supports Taiwan.

SCMP reported that while the Chinese government has set a goal to include Taiwan under the "One Country, Two Systems" framework within ten years, rising tensions with the U.S. could accelerate this timeline. There are concerns that this process could inadvertently lead to a military conflict with the U.S.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.