The Paper: According to US sources, China’s consulate general in Houston has been required by the US to cease all operations and events no later than 4:00pm on July 24 and all personnel are required to depart. Can you confirm this?

《澎湃新闻》记者：据美方消息人士透露，7月24日下午4时前，中国驻休斯敦总领馆将被要求关闭，领馆人员将被要求离开。中方能否证实？

Wang Wenbin: On July 21, the US abruptly demanded that China’s consulate general in Houston cease all operations and events. It is a political provocation unilaterally launched by the US side, which seriously violates international law, basic norms governing international relations and the bilateral consular agreement between China and the US. China strongly condemns such an outrageous and unjustified move which will sabotage China-US relations. We urge the US to immediately withdraw its erroneous decision, otherwise China will make legitimate and necessary reactions.

汪文斌：7月21日，美方突然要求中方关闭驻休斯敦总领馆，这是美方单方面对中方发起的政治挑衅，严重违反国际法和国际关系基本准则，严重违反中美领事条约有关规定，蓄意破坏中美关系，十分蛮横无理。中方对此予以强烈谴责。中方敦促美方立即撤销有关错误决定。否则，中方必将作出正当和必要反应。

For some time, the US government has been shifting the blame to China with stigmatization and unwarranted attacks against China’s social system, harassing Chinese diplomatic and consular staff in the US, intimidating and interrogating Chinese students and seizing their personal electronic devices, even detaining them without cause. The unilateral closure of China’s consulate general in Houston on short notice is an unprecedented escalation of its recent actions against China.

一段时间以来，美国政府不断向中方甩锅推责，对中国进行污名化攻击，无端攻击中国的社会制度，无理刁难中国驻美外交领事人员，对中国在美留学人员进行恐吓、盘查，没收个人电子设备，甚至是无端拘押。此次美方单方面限时关闭中国驻休斯敦总领馆，是美对华采取的前所未有的升级行动。

China is committed to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs. Infiltration and interference is never in the genes and tradition of China’s foreign policy. Chinese diplomatic missions in the US are dedicated to advancing the two peoples’ mutual understanding and friendship. Pursuant to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, China provides convenience for US diplomatic missions and personnel in China. However, the US has imposed restrictions on Chinese diplomatic personnel in the US twice without cause, in last October and this June respectively. It opened without permission Chinese diplomatic pouches multiple times, and seized Chinese items for official use. As the US flagrantly drums up stigmatization and fans hatred against China, our embassy in the US recently has even received bomb and death threats on Chinese diplomatic missions and personnel in the US. And the US embassy constantly publishes on its website articles smearing China. If we compare the two, it is only too evident which is engaged in interference, infiltration and confrontation.

中方一贯坚持不干涉别国内政原则，渗透、干涉别国内政从来不是中国外交的基因和传统。中国驻美外交机构始终致力于促进中美两国人民互相了解和友谊。中方根据《维也纳外交关系公约》和《维也纳领事关系公约》为美驻华外交机构和人员履职提供便利。反观美方，去年10月和今年6月两次对中国驻美外交人员无端设限，多次私自开拆中方的外交邮袋，查扣中方公务用品。由于近期美方肆意污名化和煽动仇视，中国驻美使馆近期已经收到针对中国驻美外交机构和人员的炸弹和死亡威胁。美驻华使馆网站更是经常公然刊登攻击中国的文章。相比之下，是谁在干涉别国内政，是谁在搞渗透、搞对抗，事实一目了然。

The US claims lack of reciprocity in relations with China. This is just its old ploy that’s completely unjustified. As a matter of fact, the US far outnumbers China when it comes to diplomatic missions and staff in each other’s country.

美方声称美中关系不对等，这是美方的惯用借口，毫无道理。事实上，单就中美驻对方国家使领馆数量和外交领事人员数量而言，美方远远多于中方。

We urge the US to immediately revoke this erroneous decision. Should it insist on going down this wrong path, China will react with firm countermeasures.

我们敦促美方立即撤销有关错误决定。如果美方一意孤行，中方必将采取措施坚决应对。 

（文章出处为2020.7.22外交部发言人讲话）

热词小结

1.consulate general 总领事馆

（1）领事馆是一国驻在他国某个城市的领事代表机关的总称，根据《维也纳领事关系公约》，领馆分为总领事馆（consulate general），领事馆（consulate），副领事馆（ vice consulate 或 vice-consulate）和领事代理处（consular agency），负责管理当地本国侨民和其它领事事务。其英文释义为：The consulate is a diplomatic mission, the office of a consul and is usually subordinate to the state’s main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy or – between Commonwealth countries – high commission. Like the terms embassy or high commission, consulate may refer not only to the office of consul, but also to the building occupied by the consul and the consul’s staff. The consulate may share premises with the embassy itself.

（2）领事馆和大使馆的区别

大使馆（embassy）是一国在建交国首都派驻的常设外交代表机关。大使馆代表整个国家的利益，全面负责两国关系，馆长是大使，由国家元首任命并作为国家元首的代表履行职责。大使馆的首要职责是代表派遣国，促进两国的政治关系，其次是促进经济、文化、教育、科技等方面的关系，使馆同时具有领事职能。和领事馆相比，大使馆在英文释义上具有自己的特点：An embassy is larger and more important than a consulate and is described as a permanent diplomatic mission, which is generally located in a country’s capital city.

二者的具体区别为：

大使馆的职责范围遍及驻在国各个地区，领事馆只负责所辖地区。大使馆通常受政府和外交部门的直接领导，而领事馆通常接受外交部门和所在国大使馆的双重领导。许多国家在多数国家只设大使馆，不设领事馆。设不设领事馆，设哪个级别的领事馆，主要看侨民和领事业务的多少以及所在地区的重要性，并依照对等原则进行。如中国在美国设有大使馆和5个总领事馆，负责各自辖区内的领事业务。在个别小国，外国只设领事馆和派驻领事官员。现今，中国在180个建交国中设有174个大使馆、93个（总）领事馆 。

①驻地有别：大使馆是一国在建交国首都派驻的常设外交代表机关。领事馆是一国政府派驻对方国家某个城市并在一定区域执行领事职务的政府代表机关;

②数量区别：大使馆只有一个，领事馆可能有多个;

③权限不同：大使馆权限高于领事馆，大使馆职责范围遍及驻在国所有地区、领事馆只负责所辖地区。

2.provocation [n.] the act of doing or saying sth. deliberately in order to make sb. angry or upset; something that is done or said to cause this挑衅，刺激，激怒

如：This was no sudden response to provocation, but a long-planned move. 

这并不是对挑衅的突然回应，而是一个长期谋划的行动。

3.basic norms 基本规范，基本准则；

如Justice is the exercise of judicial power, the judiciary should follow the basic norms guiding the country all the highest principle of judicial activities. 

司法公正是司法机关行使司法权应遵循的基本准则，是指导国家一切司法活动的最高原则。

4.detain [v.] to keep sb. in an official place, such as a police station, a prison or a hospital, and prevent them from leaving 居留，扣押

如：No entity or individual other than the traffic administrative department of the public security organ may confiscate or detain a motor vehicle driving license. 

公安机关交通管理部门以外的任何单位或者个人，不得收缴、扣留机动车驾驶证。

5.unilateral 单边的，单方的；如：unilateral trade 单边贸易；unilateral contract 单务合同

相关词汇还有：

bilateral 双边的，两边的；如：bilateral contract 双务合同

multilateral 多边的，多方面的；如：multilateral trade talks 多边贸易会谈

6.the principle of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs 不干涉别国内政原则