A view of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu. Photo: Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
China on Friday ordered the closure of the U.S. consulate in Chengdu, a tit-for-tat move after the forced shuttering of China's consulate in Houston earlier this week.
Why it matters: The move is a relatively routine response that isn't likely to ratchet tensions between the two countries up further, as Chengdu is a secondary diplomatic outpost for the U.S. — much like Houston was for China.