Thursday 23 July 2020

Houston Consulate Ordered to Close Amid Sharpening U.S.-China Tensions

On Wednesday, the United States ordered China to “cease all operations and events” at its Houston consulate over suspicion of attempts to steal trade secrets and scientific research. The order, which must be fulfilled by Friday, comes as diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Washington are rapidly escalating, and as the Trump administration is doubling down on its anti-China message, notably in a “fiery” speech by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday. In a Wednesday evening press conference, President Trump stated that it was “always possible’ more Chinese missions would be closed. At The New York Times, Edward Wong, Lara Jakes, and Steven Lee Myers report on the allegations that U.S. officials are so far citing for the sudden action:

It was unclear what had immediately prompted the crackdown on the consulate, which must close by Friday, although the State Department said China was directing “massive illegal spying and influence operations.”

David R. Stilwell, who oversees policy for East Asia and the Pacific at the State Department, said in an interview that the Houston consulate had a history of engaging in “subversive behavior” and was the epicenter of research theft in the United States. He gave few details to support that assertion, though other American officials released a document with more information on Wednesday night.

He cited one example: He said the consul general, Cai Wei, the top Chinese official there, and two other diplomats were caught using false identification to escort Chinese travelers on May 31 to the gate area of a charter flight from George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Mr. Stilwell said that some of China’s attempted scientific thefts in the United States had accelerated over the last six months, and could be related to efforts to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus, although he presented no evidence. […] [Source]

Axios reported this week that U.S. prosecutors have accused the San Francisco consulate of harboring a Chinese military researcher who is wanted by the FBI.

Local Houston KHOU 11 reported that the fire department Tuesday evening responded to a report of documents being burned in the courtyard of the consulate after the eviction order was issued—a practice that Vox notes is common when a diplomatic mission is abruptly abandoned.

The day prior, the U.S. Justice Department accused two Chinese hackers of targeting U.S. vaccine information as part of a broader cybertheft campaign that had previously targeted data on rights activists.

As Beijing sharply condemned the consulate closure as “a political provocation unilaterally initiated against China,” Houston Consul General Cai Wei expressed surprise to the local ABC affiliate, claiming that his mission was “friendship and mutual understanding” between China and the U.S. In a later interview with Politico on the eve of the deadline,  Cai claimed his post may defy the order.

At CNN, James Griffiths and Nicole Gaouette relay further statements from the Trump administration justifying the move as a needed protection measure, noting disparate words of caution both from colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and from commentators in China:

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, the acting chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote on Twitter Wednesday that closing China’s consulate in Houston “needed to happen,” and claimed it is a “central node of the Communist Party’s vast network of spies.”

Sen. Angus King, an independent of Maine who caucuses with Democrats, told CNN’s John Berman on “New Day” Wednesday he was not aware of any “recent intelligence of particular Chinese activities, either with regard to our elections, or the whole confrontation between our two countries — theft of intellectual property” that may have driven the decision.

“There certainly is a good reason to confront China. My concern is, escalating this tension, is it really about confronting China, or does it have something to do with an election in four months?” King, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said. [Source]

Legal expert Jerome Cohen also expressed surprise and reservations about the move:

On Thursday, Secretary Pompeo levied further forceful remarks, which CNN’s Jennifer Hansler writes “appeared to cast the US-China competition as a modern day Cold War.”

“We must admit our truth that should guide us in the years and decades to come, that if we want to have a free 21st century, and not the Chinese century of which Xi Jinping dreams, the old paradigm of blind engagement with China simply won’t get it done,” he said. “We must not continue it and we must not return to it.”

“As President Trump has made very clear, we need a strategy that protects the American economy and indeed our way of life. The free world must triumph over this new tyranny,” he said.

“The truth is that our policies — and those of other free nations — resurrected China’s failing economy, only to see Beijing bite the international hands that were feeding it,” Pompeo continued. “We opened our arms to Chinese citizens, only to see the Chinese Communist Party exploit our free and open society.”

[…] His speech was the fourth and culminating event in a series of remarks from the administration against China. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Attorney General Bill Barr delivered similar remarks on the threat from Beijing. [Source]

At The New York Times, Keith Bradsher and Steven Lee Myers situate the consulate closure into the rapidly proliferating diplomatic conflicts between Beijing and Washington, noting Chinese officials’ apparent caution to contain the diplomatic fallout:

Behind the scenes, senior Chinese officials seem to have little desire to escalate the tensions even further, concerned that any moves could play into President Trump’s hands as he mounts his re-election campaign. A highly visible showdown with China could distract Americans from Mr. Trump’s botched response to the pandemic and allow him to campaign as a leader who is defending his country against a foreign power.

“This is a classic game, to find an external distraction and rouse the people behind the president,” said Lau Siu-kai, a senior Beijing adviser on Hong Kong issues.

At the same time, Beijing cannot afford to appear weak in the face of the barrage of attacks from the United States. A rising sense of national pride, instilled by the country’s schools and amplified by state media, demands that Chinese leaders stand strong when challenged from abroad.

[…] The tough policies and tougher rhetoric from Washington indicate that the United States, not China, is setting the ever more confrontational tone in the bilateral relationship. “I think originally you could have faulted the Chinese for much of the imbalance,” said Orville Schell, the director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society, “but now the U.S. doesn’t seem as ardent about leaving the door open for remedy, as it is arching its back against China.” […] [Source]

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source https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2020/07/houston-consulate-ordered-to-close-amid-sharpening-u-s-china-tensions/
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