China Condemns The Arson Attack
An arson attack has partially damaged the compound of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco.
According to media reports, an unidentified man came out of a van parked outside the compound and poured two buckets of gasoline in front of the consulate building and set it on fire.
The fire caused serious damage to the facilities. The San Francisco’s police and fire departments immediately arrived at the scene to put out the fire.
Investigation Underway
China expressed condemnation of the attack on its consulate office in San Francisco, as did the US Department of State.
In a press statement in Washington DC, US Deputy Department Spokesperson Marie Harf said the US government takes the incident very seriously.
She announced that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security is working with the FBI and local authorities to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators.
In addition, she noted that Department officials are communicating with Chinese officials to provide support and updates on the case.
US And China Articulate A Vision Of A Stronger Relationship
Amid issues of differences in terms of human rights, the US and China have articulated a vision of a stronger relationship, a better partnership U.S.-China.
Both countries have agreed to advance the discussion with respect to some of the economic issues as well.
In addition, the two parties reaffirmed the agreement on building a cooperative partnership and exploring a new type of major country relations between China and the United States and made plans for high-level exchanges and dialogue mechanisms in the future.
In addition, the two countries agreed to strengthen practical cooperation in such fields as economy, energy, and environmental protection, and deepened cultural and people-to-people exchanges.