“We are not in search of conflict,” he said.
On the same day that the State Department ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that he hopes to make a visit to China this year.
“We are not in search of conflict,” he said. “The [People’s Liberation Army] activities in the region are destabilizing, and they significantly increase the risk of miscalculation.
“I personally have spoken to my counterpart on multiple occasions, and before the year is out, I hope to visit the PRC for the first time as secretary. We are committed to a constructive and results-oriented relationship with China and within our defense relationship, to open lines of communication and risk reduction.”
Meanwhile, the consulate in Houston was ordered closed. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortegus said the order was issued to “protect American intellectual property and American private information.” She said, “The U.S. will not tolerate the PRC’s violations of our sovereignty and intimidation of our people, just as we have not tolerated the PRC’s unfair trade practices, theft of American jobs, and other egregious behavior. President Trump insists on fairness and reciprocity in the U.S.-China relations.”
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said, “China demands the U.S. revoke this wrong decision. If the U.S. goes ahead with it, China will take the necessary countermeasures.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Secretary Esper and his hoped-for plans to visit China later this year.
- For Secretary Pompeo and the State Department’s closure of the consulate in Houston as a possible “spy center”; for the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
- About the increased levels of rhetoric being employed by both sides.
Sources: Washington Examiner, USA Today
