US: Houston Chinese Consulate's Spy Activities Are the Worst in the US

Houston Chinese Consulate Ordered to Close by the U.S.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The United States claimed that excessive espionage activities took place at the Chinese Consulate General in Houston, Texas, describing it as the most severe level across the entire country. The Houston Chinese Consulate General is understood to have begun withdrawal procedures as the deadline for the U.S. demand for closure arrived on this day.

According to AFP on the 24th (local time), a senior U.S. Department of Justice official acknowledged in a briefing regarding the background of the decision to close the Houston Chinese Consulate General that all countries' diplomatic missions serve as bases for intelligence activities, but criticized, "The activities of the Houston Consulate General far exceeded the line we are willing to accept."

The official explained, "At some point, you reach a point where 'enough is enough.' And then you determine who is among the worst offenders."

The official added that although the activities of the Houston Chinese Consulate General were illegal, due to the diplomatic immunity applied to consulates, they are not necessarily subject to criminal punishment.

A U.S. intelligence agency official explained that the Houston Chinese Consulate General’s activities in stealing information in the fields of science and technology were particularly aggressive and successful. Near Houston, there are facilities of NASA as well as major semiconductor companies. Samsung Electronics’ U.S. semiconductor plant is also located here.

A senior State Department official attending the briefing emphasized that the activities of the Houston Chinese Consulate General were also linked to China’s research on developing a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.

On this day, the Chinese Consulate General in Houston was packing up as the U.S. government’s demanded closure deadline approached. According to local media such as the Houston Chronicle, eighteen-wheel large trucks and moving service company U-Haul vehicles were stationed around the Houston consulate building in the morning. The sign indicating the Chinese Consulate General was removed from the wall, and the entrance was firmly locked.

The United States had demanded on the 21st that the Chinese Consulate General in Houston be closed within 72 hours.

Meanwhile, NBC reported citing an anonymous official that the U.S. has not disclosed whether it will accept the closure order for the Chinese Consulate General in Chengdu.

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