US-China relations: thousands gather to see closure of Chengdu consulate
- Police say man was reprimanded on Friday night for setting off a firecracker, but crowds mostly peaceful as mission staff pack up and leave
- Beijing ordered the closure of the consulate on Friday, in retaliation for Washington shutting down its mission in Houston
Against a heavy police and security presence, three trucks and a bus were seen entering and leaving the compound, while a number of workers headed out on foot, their arms filled with assorted boxes and files.
Others left the compound on heavily laden scooters, while cleaners disposed of large black bin bags – presumably full of non-sensitive materials – and a maintenance team removed the American insignia from an exterior wall.
While the capital of southwest China’s Sichuan province is not particularly regarded as a hotbed of international political tensions, the city became the focus for an outpouring of nationalistic sentiment after Beijing ordered the closure of the US mission on Friday.
That instruction came in retaliation for Washington issuing a similar order to the Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas earlier in the week.
