The Chinese embassy in the United States has received bomb threats from an unknown caller, the Paper media outlet reported on Wednesday, citing an informed source, amid the rising tensions between Washington and Beijing
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd July, 2020) The Chinese embassy in the United States has received bomb threats from an unknown caller, the Paper media outlet reported on Wednesday, citing an informed source, amid the rising tensions between Washington and Beijing.
US sanctions against China's tech giant, Huawei, for allegedly working with the Chinese government have sparked a new diplomatic confrontation between the two countries. Huawei has rejected the claims as unjustified and politically motivated and said they contradict competitive practices. Washington has demanded that Beijing close its diplomatic mission in Houston. The media subsequently reported that China was considering closing the US consulate in Wuhan in response.
According to the news portal, the diplomatic mission's visa office received phone calls from an unknown man on Monday. The caller reportedly spoke in English and hung up after the embassy staff answered the phone.
"Chinese Embassy Visa Office?" the caller asked, as cited by the media outlet. After hearing a positive response, the man continued, "do you know what's in your lobby?"
He then simulated the sound of an explosion and hung up, the portal added.
According to the source, the embassy also received a threatening letter on March 21. Chinese diplomatic institutions and personnel have received an increased number of threats and insults recently, after which the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in the United States have beefed up security measures.
US-China relations have significantly soured in the past several years with Washington accusing Beijing of unfair trade practices, a poor response to the coronavirus outbreak, human rights violations and unwarranted territorial disputes with neighboring countries. China has denied the accusations and criticized the United States for various violations of international law. Beijing also said that Washington had incited hatred toward Chinese nationals.
