US orders China to close consulate in Houston; China vows to retaliate

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
20 Year Member
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/22/us-orders-china-to-close-consulate-in-houston-texas.html

"The U.S. State Department confirmed on Wednesday it had ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, prompting Beijing to insist on firm countermeasures unless Washington immediately reverses its decision.

The move comes as political tensions between the world’s two largest economies continue to escalate.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said the directive to close China’s Consulate General Houston had been made to protect American intellectual property and the private information of its citizens.

The Vienna Convention states diplomats must “respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State” and “have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State,” Ortagus continued.

She added that Washington would not tolerate the People’s Republic of China’s violations of U.S. sovereignty and intimidation of our people, just as we have not tolerated the PRC’s unfair trade practices, theft of American jobs, and other egregious behavior.

China has since condemned the decision, warning of firm countermeasures if the U.S. failed to urgently rescind the order.

“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,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily news briefing, Associated Press reported.

The U.S. has given China three days to close the consulate in the Texas city, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

Alongside the embassy in Beijing, the U.S. has five consulates in mainland China, according to its website. They are in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang and Wuhan."

Hoping that everything is okay for LoneSage. Guy is under enough stress as is.
 

LoneSage

A Broken Man
20 Year Member
Supposedly - RUMOR HAS IT - that China required the American diplomats for their consulate in Wuhan to get a covid-19 test in China upon arrival (which would waive diplomatic immunity), the Americans refused, so the American consulate would not re-open in Wuhan, and now the Trump administration is striking while the iron is hot to close the consulate in Texas.
 

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
20 Year Member
Supposedly - RUMOR HAS IT - that China required the American diplomats for their consulate in Wuhan to get a covid-19 test in China upon arrival (which would waive diplomatic immunity), the Americans refused, so the American consulate would not re-open in Wuhan, and now the Trump administration is striking while the iron is hot to close the consulate in Texas.

China's request would be a violation of the Vienna convention. But I guess it's all planned to allow(? maybe not best word) China to kick the US out of Hong Kong.
 

LoneSage

A Broken Man
20 Year Member
China's request would be a violation of the Vienna convention.

They have shown they don't care about 'international law' by building artificial islands in the South China Sea and then claiming it as its territory. Have you ever seen a country that uses lines in the ocean to mark its borders on maps?

The Hague decision was four years ago. Still building islands there, still putting 'this is ours' in international waters. Which makes you wonder, what is international law? This is where America comes in and does their world police thing, which is necessary
 

SML

NEANDERTHAL FUCKER,
20 Year Member
I like how we can't even pretend anymore that the closures are a function of some role as a global moral authority so we didn't bother.
 

roker

DOOM
20 Year Member
Fuck'em

Every now and then this administration does something right (the tally is probably 3 vs 87687).

Nixon created a monster when he opened up trade with China ... *sigh* ... most everything in my apartment is made in China
 

Naika

Street Hoop Star
They have shown they don't care about 'international law' by building artificial islands in the South China Sea and then claiming it as its territory. Have you ever seen a country that uses lines in the ocean to mark its borders on maps?

The Hague decision was four years ago. Still building islands there, still putting 'this is ours' in international waters. Which makes you wonder, what is international law? This is where America comes in and does their world police thing, which is necessary

Remember their hilarious response to the Hague the decision? They petulantly said "It's just a piece of paper".

SMFH.
 

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
20 Year Member
Fuck'em

Every now and then this administration does something right (the tally is probably 3 vs 87687).

Nixon created a monster when he opened up trade with China ... *sigh* ... most everything in my apartment is made in China

China recently announced that the military science unit and one of their pharmaceutical companies arrived at a vaccine that works, and Trump said he's willing to work with them on it. So I guess the next thing to happen is Trump apologizing publicly for the Houston move. IDK.
 

wataru330

Mr. Wrestling IV
20 Year Member
Would love a link to the China breakthrough...I’ve been depressed all week, since reading the SanFran Chronicle article that laid out why a vaccine for COVID is neigh impossible.

If China really comes through with this, what’s stopping them from supplying it to everyone else-and EMPing us into the stone-age, to rule the world?
 

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
20 Year Member
Would love a link to the China breakthrough...I’ve been depressed all week, since reading the SanFran Chronicle article that laid out why a vaccine for COVID is neigh impossible.

If China really comes through with this, what’s stopping them from supplying it to everyone else-and EMPing us into the stone-age, to rule the world?

honestly, it's probably bullshit opportunism. Even if someone develops a vaccine, without sustaining antibodies for more time than the rumored 3 months, we will have to be taking the vaccine in 2 month cycles for years in order to suffocate the virus, and even then, you know antivaxxers will fuck it all up like they did to polio and measles.
 

Tacitus

Volatile Memory Construct - SN://0467839
Staff member
lmbo they burned a bunch of documents and the fire trucks came: https://heavy.com/news/2020/07/fire-consulate-general-china-houston/

Wonder what shady shit was going down there.

I'd feel bad if any American embassy or consulate workers get detained like the two Michaels, that would be horrific. Embassy workers here were always great and helpful.

Nearly every consulate and embassy function as an intelligence station. Why do you think they all work under "diplomatic cover?"

It's no surprise they'd be burning documents, our intelligence agencies will be all over that place looking for stuff. Houston is a huge technology and innovation hub. Probably a shit ton of corporate espionage / technology intelligence, case files, diplomatic cables, encryption machines / comms, executive documentation, devices, etc.

You've got handlers, case officers, etc working out of there. You can't take it with you and you can't throw it in a dumpster.

Every nation does this. It's not anomalous or odd. It's part of tradecraft.
 

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
20 Year Member
Nearly every consulate and embassy function as an intelligence station. Why do you think they all work under "diplomatic cover?"

It's no surprise they'd be burning documents, our intelligence agencies will be all over that place looking for stuff. Houston is a huge technology and innovation hub. Probably a shit ton of corporate espionage / technology intelligence, case files, diplomatic cables, encryption machines / comms, executive documentation, devices, etc.

You've got handlers, case officers, etc working out of there. You can't take it with you and you can't throw it in a dumpster.

Every nation does this. It's not anomalous or odd. It's part of tradecraft.

the real question is: "why do they have a station in Houston?" Consulates will be used for citizen services, trade support, or espionage. It was probably for espionage purposes.
 

Tacitus

Volatile Memory Construct - SN://0467839
Staff member
the real question is: "why do they have a station in Houston?" Consulates will be used for citizen services, trade support, or espionage. It was probably for espionage purposes.

Huge technology hub.
Military installations.
Petroleum / Energy Sector.
Ex-pat community.
Any / all corporate espionage / IP theft.
...
 

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
20 Year Member
Huge technology hub.
Military installations.
Petroleum / Energy Sector.
Ex-pat community.
Any / all corporate espionage / IP theft.
...

NASA.

If you have eyes in the sky and want to protect them, setting up a sigint post outside a major NASA site is a good idea.
 

Tacitus

Volatile Memory Construct - SN://0467839
Staff member
NASA.

If you have eyes in the sky and want to protect them, setting up a sigint post outside a major NASA site is a good idea.

NASA was under my "military installation" category.

At this point, the value of that is diminished for a lot of reasons. Not worthless and likely something they're doing.... all metadata is good... but they can do most of that remotely or safely from other locations now. Tailored access through networks and other methods is way more fruitful as well.

Anything they're running out of there against NASA (and other support / supply) will undoubtedly include HUMINT and sources. Let's be honest.. there's probably agents / sources inside NASA for China. That means documents, originals, etc. Gotta get rid of it somehow. Gotta clean up the dead drops / boxes / caches. yadda yadda.
 

roker

DOOM
20 Year Member
If China really comes through with this, what’s stopping them from supplying it to everyone else-and EMPing us into the stone-age, to rule the world?

2nd biggest economy in the world (and probably their #1 customer in the world) would stop buying your shit if they were all sick

They're just as tied to the US as we are to China.
 
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Tacitus

Volatile Memory Construct - SN://0467839
Staff member
2nd biggest economy in the world (and probably they're #1 customer in the world) would stop buying your shit if they were all sick

They're just as tied to the US as we are to China.

Bingo.

China doesn't want global dominance and dominion in that sense. They'd like to maintain their identity / insularity, steal your IP, produce it cheaper, and sell it right back to you. They prefer economic control and hegemony. None of this is new. They've been the same way for milennia. They have an insane debt problem, insane corruption problem, insane gentrification / re-engineering problem. They need to make money. They don't really care how, particularly with foreigners.

LS will probably attest to this... a huge swath of the population lives essentially the same way they did 500 years ago. They don't care. That has always been one of their faults and the reason they haven't expanded globally. Their power comes from the monolithic and collectivist nature of society. That also breeds apathy, indifference, corruption.

They police themselves and hide behind a firewall for a reason. They hire water armies for a reason. Homogenizing and indoctrinating billions is hard enough as it is. They can't add another billion or so and still manage the problem.
 

LoneSage

A Broken Man
20 Year Member
I'm looking forward to seeing how the Republican party will continue to pressure the CCP. Sen. Josh Hawley, who is a huge piece of shit, made news here a few days ago when he called out NBA and ESPN for kowtowing to the CCP, particularly the censorship last October with Hong Kong. I'll never vote R again in my lifetime but it is good to see.
 

LoneSage

A Broken Man
20 Year Member
China recently announced that the military science unit and one of their pharmaceutical companies arrived at a vaccine that works

I highly recommend staying away from any news that says there's a vaccine that works until it's actually being given to the public. It'll save you a lot of heartache.

I have some retard, party member sorta-friend who was raving a few months ago that traditional Chinese medicine worked against the Wuflu :thevt:
 

evil wasabi

The Jongmaster
20 Year Member
I highly recommend staying away from any news that says there's a vaccine that works until it's actually being given to the public. It'll save you a lot of heartache.

I have some retard, party member sorta-friend who was raving a few months ago that traditional Chinese medicine worked against the Wuflu :thevt:

yeah, I thought the timing was convenient, and Trump took the bait.
 

GutsDozer

Robot Master., Master Tasuke, Eat Your, Heart Out
10 Year Member
Secret Santa Veteran
China is definitely not our friend. They like selling us stuff and the American dollar. They continue to participate in espionage and possibly released a bio weapon. You can't blame the US for stepping back and trying to take precautions. Now you've got the whole Free Hong Kong issue boiling. It's a damn mess.
 
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