China’s decision to close US consulate in Chengdu likely driven by size, observers say

The US consulate in Chengdu is not the largest of America’s six missions in the country and that may be the reason Beijing selected it for closure, according to observers. As well as an embassy in Beijing, the US has five consulates in mainland China – the others being in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Shenyang.

Similarly, China has five consulates in the US and an embassy in Washington. The
Houston mission, which the US ordered to close on Tuesday – handles consular affairs for the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas – is also one of its smallest. The Chengdu consulate opened in 1985 – making it the second youngest after Wuhan, which opened in 2008. It has five departments and employs 130 people, 100 of whom were locally hired, according to its website.

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