US tells China to shut consulate, Beijing furious

<p>The US government abruptly ordered China to close its consulate in Houston in an &ldquo;unprecedented escalation,&rdquo; the Foreign Ministry said. The move is the latest sign of deteriorating ties between the world&rsquo;s biggest economies. China said the move was unilaterally initiated by the US and Beijing would &ldquo;react with firm countermeasures&rdquo; if the Trump administration doesn&rsquo;t &ldquo;revoke this erroneous decision.&rdquo; It accused the US of harassing diplomatic staff and intimidating Chinese students, confiscating personal electrical devices and detaining them without cause. Chinese diplomatic missions and personnel also recently received bomb and death threats, it added.</p>