Chinese authorities took over the premises of the U.S. consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu on Monday (July 27), China's foreign ministry announced, in retaliation for the United States' closure of China's Houston consulate.
The seizure capped a dramatic escalation in tensions between the world's two biggest economies that began when employees at China's Houston consulate were seen burning documents in a courtyard last Tuesday (July 21), hours before Beijing announced that it had been ordered to leave the facility.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the closure of the Chengdu consulate and takeover of premises were "just and necessary reactions".
On Friday (July 24), Beijing announced that it had asked the United States to close its Chengdu post, and gave the Americans 72 hours to vacate, the same amount of time China was given to leave its Houston mission, which was shut on Friday.