The State Department is ordering China to close its consulate in Houston, and Beijing is vowing to retaliate. The State Department said it's shutting down the consulate to protect American intellectual property and the private information of U.S. citizens.
Today's confirmation comes a day after the Justice Department indicted two Chinese nationals living in China. The DOJ accused them of hacking governments, dissidents, human rights activists, and private companies, including those conducting coronavirus vaccine research.
"The consulate in Houston is not a diplomatic facility. It is the central node of the Communist Party’s vast network of spies & influence operations in the United States. Now that building must close & the spies have 72 hours to leave or face arrest," said Senator Marco Rubio in a tweet.
Photo: A fire truck sits outside of the Chinese consulate in Houston after the US State Department ordered China to close the consulate. (Getty Images)