The United States asked China to close its consulate in Houston, just one day after the Justice Department indicted two Chinese hackers on charges of trying to steal research into a coronavirus vaccine.

"We have directed the closure of China's Consulate General Houston, in order to protect American intellectual property and American's private information," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said early Wednesday.

On the other hand, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin severely criticized the decision, saying: "We urge the U.S. to immediately revoke this erroneous decision. Should it insist on going down this wrong path, China will react with firm countermeasures." (ILKHA)