Chengdu, China (CNN) The United States consulate in the Chinese city of Chengdu officially closed Monday morning, amid worsening relations between Beijing and Washington. The Chinese government gave the Americans the same 72-hour time frame to close their Chengdu mission as Beijing had been given in Houston last week. US officials told reporters Friday that staff at the Chinese consulate "were directly involved in communications with researchers and guided them on what information to collect." The Chinese Foreign Ministry called the closure of the Houston consulate an "unprecedented escalation" of ongoing tensions between the two countries. As the deadline to close the Chinese diplomatic mission expired on Friday, US federal agents entered the compound of the Houston consulate in black SUVs and white vans.

Source: CNN July 27, 2020 02:45 UTC