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| US officials force entry into shuttered Chinese consulate in Houston soon after evicted staff left | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| American officials have broken into a former Chinese diplomatic facility in Texas, forcing their way less than an hour after its staff vacated the building, which Washington ordered to close earlier this week. | |
| The federal officials, some believed to be with the State Department, gained entry to the facility just before 5pm on Friday evening, using power tools to pry open a back door after failing to breach three different entrances, the Houston Chronicle reported. | The federal officials, some believed to be with the State Department, gained entry to the facility just before 5pm on Friday evening, using power tools to pry open a back door after failing to breach three different entrances, the Houston Chronicle reported. |
| The takeover attempt was captured in videos circulated on social media, showing a group of men outside the consulate, who circle the building after apparently failing to access one of its doors. | |
| Police were also seen setting up a perimeter around the facility, and later guarding the building as officials attempted to get inside. | |
| At around 4pm, less than an hour before US officials gained access, Chinese diplomatic staff exited the facility and left in vehicles. | |
| FLASHBACK: US authorities break into closed Russian consulate residence in Seattle (PHOTOS) | |
| The consulate was shuttered under an order from US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, giving Beijing just 72 hours to evacuate its personnel while insisting the move was necessary to “protect American intellectual property” from alleged Chinese espionage. | |
| Beijing has already responded in kind, ordering an American consulate in Chengdu closed early on Friday morning – also reportedly giving a 72-hour time frame – which it deemed a “legitimate and necessary response” to Washington’s “unreasonable actions.” | |
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