On July 23, 2020, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that it has informed the United States that it withdrew “its consent for the establishment and operation of the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu.” The announcement only says that “The Ministry also made specific requirements on the ceasing of all operations and events by the Consulate General” but did not indicate a time window. Reports on the ordered closure of the Chinese Consulate in Houston notes that the US asked that the consulate stop events and move employees out by Friday, July 24. (see China Says US Ordered Closure of Its Houston Consulate By July 24).
Update 1:25 am PDT: WSJ is reporting that China is giving the U.S. 72 hours to close the Chengdu consulate. American diplomats in Chengdu have 30 days to leave China.
The US Consulate General Chengdu’s consular district is made up of the Provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou, as well as the Tibet Autonomous Region and Chongqing City Municipality.
Via US Mission China:
Photo from US Mission China website
The U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu was established in 1985 and was originally located on the first floor of the west wing of the Jinjiang Hotel. The Consulate started with only six American officers and approximately 20 local employees. It was made up of an Executive Office (a Consul General and administrative assistant); a small office handling political, economic and commercial issues; a Consular Section; a Management Section and what was then known as the U.S. Information Service.
In 1985, each of the offices was covered by one American officer. The Consulate today has grown tremendously by comparison, with almost 200 total staff. Approximately 150 of these are locally hired professional Chinese staff who are the heart of our daily operations and many of whom have served for many years.
Beijing set a 72-hr limit for the US consulate in Chengdu to shut down—the same amount of time Washington gave for the closure of China's consulate in Houston—and US diplomats at the Chengdu consulate were given 30 days to leave China, sources say. https://t.co/68BpZPZvMW
— Chun Han Wong 王春翰 (@ByChunHan) July 24, 2020
China just informed the #US side of its decision to withdraw its consent for the establishment & operation of US Consulate General in Chengdu. The US Consulate General in Chengdu must cease all operations & events as required. 🔗https://t.co/jxYJ86OG0B
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) July 24, 2020
CCTV has put up a live Weibo feed of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu, Sichuan after China’s foreign ministry announced it ordered the consulate closed. Complemented with dramatic, pulsing audio that loops over and over. Check it out. @CBSNews is here. 🇨🇳 https://t.co/1J2KCMxk38
— Ramy Inocencio 英若明 (@RamyInocencio) July 24, 2020
China has ordered the United States to close its consulate in the western city of Chengdu in an increasingly rancorous diplomatic conflict. The order followed the U.S. closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston. https://t.co/dAHzfo9AjI
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 24, 2020
Breaking News: China said that the American Consulate in Chengdu would be shut, moving to retaliate for the U.S. order to close the Chinese Consulate in Houston https://t.co/FNQs8TlAMI
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 24, 2020
The US has made some preparations for withdrawal from Consulate General in Wuhan. Washington must hope that China will retaliate by closing this consulate, which is a small price for the US. I think China's target will be more likely unexpected, causing the US to feel real pain. pic.twitter.com/aDib4DXzDU
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) July 22, 2020
US consulate in Chengdu prime target for China retaliation over Houston https://t.co/w35q3VeFJW
— Chungyan Chow (@ChungyanChow) July 23, 2020
The head of the Chinese Consulate in Houston won’t commit to closing the office — a direct threat of defiance to the State Department’s demand that it be shut down by Fridayhttps://t.co/cQifxjgWrO
— POLITICO (@politico) July 23, 2020