The American flag was lowered at the United States Consulate in Chengdu on Monday, days after Beijing ordered it to be closed in retaliation for the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston.
Images from the state television channel CCTV from outside the consulate showed that the flag was lowered slowly on Monday morning, after diplomatic tensions soared between the two powers, claiming that the other had endangered national security. .
Relations deteriorated in recent weeks in a Cold War-style confrontation, and the Chengdu mission on Friday ordered to close in retaliation for the forced closure of the Beijing consulate in Houston, Texas.
The deadline for Americans to leave Chengdu has not been clear, but the Chinese consulate in Houston had 72 hours to close after the original order was made.
The road leading to the Chengdu consulate was closed on Monday, with police and cordons blocking the way.
State media reported that staff members had left the complex around 6 a.m. on Monday.
Over the weekend, moving trucks entered the site and cleaners were seen carrying large black garbage bags from the consulate.
On Saturday, AFP reporters saw workers remove the American insignia from the front of the building.
A steady stream of spectators in the city of 16.5 million people spent the weekend, many taking photos.
Beijing says closing the Chengdu consulate was a "legitimate and necessary response to the unreasonable steps of the United States," and has alleged that staff at the diplomatic mission jeopardized China's security and interests.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters that some US officials at the Chengdu consulate "were involved in activities beyond their capacity, interfering in China's internal affairs and jeopardizing security and interests. from China".
Meanwhile, Washington officials said the Chinese consulate in Houston had made unacceptable efforts to steal American corporate secrets and proprietary medical and scientific research.
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