US asks China to close Houston consulate

Houston, July 22: The United States has asked Beijing to shut its consulate in Houston within the next 72 hours.

China has called the move unprecedented escalation. It has also said that the move is unjustified and outrageous.

Editor of the Communist Party's Global Times Newspaper, Hu Xinjin tweeted about the development. Hours after his tweet, firefighters descended on the consulate following witness reports that papers were being burned outside in open containers.

Videos posted online showed fires in multiple containers, with smoke rising into the sky. TV stations said that firefighters were not allowed inside the complex. The fire was however later extinguished. No injuries have been reported.