American officials have broken into a former Chinese diplomatic facility in Texas, forcing their way in less than an hour after its staff vacated the building, which Washington ordered to close earlier this week.
Federal officials, some believed to be with the State Department, gained entry to the facility just before 5pm local time on Friday, using power tools to pry open a back door after failing to breach three different entrances, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The takeover attempt was captured in videos circulated on social media, showing a group of men outside the consulate, who circle the building after apparently failing to access one of its doors.
https://www.rt.com/usa/495809-china-consulate-houston-entry/
US makes forced entry into Chinese consulate; evicts diplomats and staff
Hal Turner,
23 July, 2020
American officials have broken into a former Chinese diplomatic facility in Texas, forcing their way in less than an hour after its staff was evicted from the building, which Washington ordered to close earlier this week.
Federal officials, some believed to be with the State Department, gained entry to the facility just before 5pm local time on Friday, using power tools to pry open a back door after failing to breach three different entrances.
The takeover attempt was captured in videos circulated on social media, showing a group of men outside the consulate, who circle the building after apparently failing to access one of its doors.
Police were also seen setting up a perimeter around the facility, and later guarding the building as officials attempted to get inside.
Chinese diplomatic staff exited the facility and left in vehicles.
The method of entry mirrors the manner in which US officials forced their way into the locked residence of Moscow’s consul-general in Seattle, Washington following.
DEFIANCE! China Fails - then REFUSES - to close Houston Consulate
Officials at the Chinese consulate in Houston have refused to shut down their operations after the US ordered its closure by Friday.
Cai Wei, the Chinese Consul General in Houston, said the office would remain open “until further notice” in a clear act of defiance as relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate.
“Today we are still operating normally, so we will see what will happen tomorrow,” he told Politico on Thursday, accusing the US of breaching international conventions.
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