The U.S. abruptly ordered the closure of China's consulate in Houston, Texas on Tuesday night – leading to Chinese diplomats burning documents and papers in trash cans in the courtyard of the building.
The State Department claims the immediate action is needed to 'protect American intellectual property' and other private information of American citizens.
Republican Senator Marco Rubio, the acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, claimed in a tweet Wednesday morning that 'China's Houston consulate is a massive spy center.'
'[F]orcing it to close is long overdue,' he added.
China strongly condemned the move as the consulate was informed of the decision Tuesday amid a series of recent escalation in tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin called the action 'an outrageous and unjustified move that will sabotage relations between the two countries.'
'The unilateral closure of China's consulate general in Houston within a short period of time is an unprecedented escalation of its recent actions against China,' Wang said during a daily news briefing in Beijing.
He warned of firm countermeasures if the U.S. does not reverse this move and others taken against China.
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