London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Beijing should close US consulate for Hong Kong, Chinese polls say

Beijing should close US consulate for Hong Kong, Chinese polls say

Two-thirds of respondents in survey by nationalist newspaper Global Times name mission in former British colony as their preferred target for retribution. But source tells Post the US consulate in Chengdu is most likely to get the clear-out order

Beijing should close the US consulate for Hong Kong and Macau if it wants to retaliate for the closure of its mission in Houston, according to readers of Chinese tabloid Global Times.

More than 65 per cent of people who took part in the online poll voted for the US consulate in the former British colony, while the US missions in Guangzhou and Chengdu got just 10 and 7 per cent of the vote respectively.

The nationalist newspaper staged the vote after China’s foreign ministry condemned the US for ordering the closure of the consulate general in the Texan city and urged it to immediately correct its mistake.

A source told the South China Morning Post on Thursday that Beijing was set to close the US consulate in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan province, but that has not been officially confirmed.



In a separate poll by news portal Guancha, 66 per cent of 83,000 respondents voted to close the US consulate in Hong Kong and Macau, followed by Guangzhou with 18 per cent and Chengdu with 7 per cent.

Observers said it was unlikely Beijing would close the US consulate in Hong Kong, but its presence at the top of the two polls was indicative of the anger felt by some mainland Chinese internet users who believed America had supported the recent protests in the city.

“Chinese are angry to see the destabilisation of Hong Kong society … and the [United States’] Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act has seriously interfered with … China’s internal affairs,” said Long Xingchun, president of the Chengdu Institute of World Affairs, a think tank based in Sichuan.

The act, passed by Washington last year, requires the US government to impose sanctions against mainland China and Hong Kong officials considered responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong.



Liu Weidong, an expert on US affairs at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, agreed that some people in China were angry with the perceived interference by the US on matters related to Hong Kong.

“The logic behind the vote is simple: [the respondents think] the US wants to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, so China should prevent that by closing its consulate there,” he said.

At a press briefing on Thursday, China’s foreign ministry declined to say which US mission might close.

Spokesman Wang Wenbin said only that China “will take necessary measures to protect its own legitimate rights”.

The US consulate in Hong Kong declined to comment.

The United States on Tuesday ordered China to close its consulate in Houston by Friday. Beijing described the move as “political provocation”.

David Stilwell, a senior official for East Asia affairs at the US state department, said on Wednesday that the Houston consulate was the “epicentre” of efforts by the Chinese military to send students to the US to obtain information that could advance its warfare capabilities.




Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×