US pressure on China continues

A Chinese researcher at the San Francisco consulate is in custody. This according to the US Justice Department. The US Justice Department is also commenting on recent activity in Houston. The US shut down the Chinese consulate in Houston earlier this week. China retaliated by closing the US consulate in Chengdu.

  • Consulates will conduct some intelligence activity, but this can be exploited
  • China's Houston consulate activity went well over the line of what we can accept
  • Activity at Houston consulate, while the legal, not necessarily amenable to criminal charges, given diplomatic immunity
  • Malign activities by Chinese consulates not specific to Houston, but it was one of the worst offenders
  • Lnks Houston consulate action to coronavirus research
  • Chinese student who took refuge in China's San Francisco consulate is in US custody and is expected to make 1st court appearance on Friday
  • US Chengdu consulates activity is about messaging to Chinese people
  • China's Houston consulate not unlike what we have seen all over the country
  • process of returning US diplomats to China continues, Chinese side has been cooperative on this issue
  • US has seen 1300% increase in cases related to Chinese economic espionage in the past 10 years
  • China accounts for disproportionate share of trade secret cases