BEIJING, July 24-- Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday informed the U.S. Embassy in China of its decision to withdraw its consent for the establishment and operation of the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu. China's measure is a "legitimate and necessary response" to unjustified act by the United States, said a statement issued by the ministry. On July 21, the United States launched a unilateral provocation by abruptly demanding that China close its Consulate General in Houston, representing "uNPRecedented escalation in its recent actions against China," according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Wednesday. Noting the United States is "responsible for all this," China in the Friday statement once again urged Washington to immediately revoke its wrong decision and create necessary conditions to bring the bilateral relationship back to normal. LEGITIMATE RESPONSE TO UNJUSTIFIED U.S. MOVE The U.S. demand of closure of China's Consulate General in Houston seriously violates international law, basic norms governing international relations and the bilateral consular agreement between China and the United States, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. "If the United States imposes certain restrictions on us, we will also take certain restrictive measures in the diplomatic field under the same conditions. It is in line with the provisions of international law and is a legitimate and reasonable diplomatic practice," Gao Fei, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told Xinhua in an interview. |