BEIJING : China on Friday ordered the United States to close its consulate in the western city of Chengdu in an increasingly rancorous diplomatic conflict.

The order followed the U.S. closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston.

The Chinese foreign ministry appealed to Washington to reverse its “erroneous decision."

The Trump administration on Tuesday ordered the Houston consulate closed within 72 hours. It alleged Chinese agents tried to steal data from facilities in Texas including the Texas A&M medical system.

The United States has an embassy in Beijing and consulates in five other mainland cities — Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang and Wuhan. It also has a consulate in Hong Kong, a Chinese territory.

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