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Consulate General of the United States, Chengdu

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The Consulate General of the United States, Chengdu (simplified Chinese: 美国驻成都总领事馆; traditional Chinese: 美國駐成都總領事館; pinyin: Měiguó zhù Chéngdū Zǒnglǐngshìguǎn) is a diplomatic mission in Wuhou District, Chengdu.[1]

The building of the consulate

This is one of seven American diplomatic and consular posts in China.[2] The consular district includes the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou, the Tibet Autonomous Region, and the prefecture-level city of Chongqing.

On 6 February 2012, the Consulate General was the scene of the Wang Lijun incident.

History

The consulate was opened by Vice President George H. W. Bush in 1985 in an annex of the Jinjiang Hotel. The consulate moved in 1993 to its own compound at #4, Lingshiguan Lu, where it remains.[citation needed]

In 1993, the Peace Corps began a program in China, headquartered in Chengdu. A Peace Corps Director and staff were posted in the city. From its beginning, the primary mission of Peace Corps China has been to assist in the training of young Chinese citizens to become English teachers in the rapidly increasing number of junior high schools of the area, specifically in the relatively undeveloped provinces of Gansu, Guizhou, and Sichuan as well as the municipality of Chongqing. There were eighteen teachers in the first group of Peace Corps China Volunteers, and they served in five teacher training institutions. Now, twenty years later, there are about 150 Volunteers teaching in 90 institutions.[3]

The consulate compound came under attack in May 1999 by crowds enraged by the US accidental bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. The Consul General's Residence was heavily damaged by fire.[citation needed]

In 2008, Condoleezza Rice was the first US Secretary of State to visit the consulate. She came in response to the massive Sichuan earthquake that killed approximately 80,000 people. Secretary Rice visited a relief camp in Dujiangyan as well as an emergency water purification project donated by the United States.[citation needed]

In February 2012, a Chinese official entered the US Consulate General in Chengdu setting off a political scandal that led to the downfall of Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai in what is now known as the Wang Lijun incident.[citation needed]

The Consulate started with only six American officers and approximately 20 local employees. It was made up of an Executive Office (a Consul General and administrative assistant); a small office handling political, economic and commercial issues; a Consular Section; a Management Section and what was then known as the U.S. Information Service.[citation needed]

In 1985, each of the offices was covered by one American officer. The Consulate today has grown to 130 total staff. Approximately 100 of these are locally hired professional Chinese staff.[citation needed]

On July 24, 2020, China revoked the license for the U.S. General Consulate in Chengdu, and ordered the general consulate to cease operations.[4] This is in retaliation for the closure of the Chinese consulate-general in Houston, Texas on July 22, 2020.[5]

The consulate was closed at 10:00 AM on July 27, 2020. Afterwards, Chinese authorities entered through the front entrance and took it over.[6]

Bo Xilai corruption scandal

In February 2012, Wang Lijun, the vice-mayor of Chongqing, fled to the Consulate General of the United States in Chengdu,[7] where he remained for around 24 hours, amid rumors of political infighting with Chongqing Communist Party secretary Bo Xilai, sparking off the Wang Lijun incident which led to Bo's eventual ouster and trial.[8]

Consuls General

The current Consul General is Jim Mullinax.[9]

Previous Consuls General are:

  • Raymond Greene (2014-2017)
  • Peter Haymond (2011-2014)
  • David E. Brown (2009-2010)
  • James Boughner (2006-2009)
  • Jeff Moon (2004-2006)
  • David Bleyle (2001-2003)
  • Brian Woo (1999-2000)
  • Cornelis Keur (1995-1999)
  • Donald A. Camp (1992–95)
  • Marshall Adair (1990-1992)
  • Bill Thomas (1985-1988)

See also

References

  1. ^ Security Message about Recent Protests at Emei Mountain Archived May 18, 2015, at the Wayback MachineJuly 8, 2014 (). U.S. Consulate in Chengdu. Retrieved on May 17, 2015. "The U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu Number 4, Lingshiguan Road Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041"
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 13, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Congressional Delegation Meets with Peace Corps Program in China". Peace Corps. April 25, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  4. ^ Cheng, Evelyn (July 24, 2020). "China orders U.S. to close consulate in Chengdu". CNBC. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  5. ^ "US orders China to close Houston consulate". BBC News. July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  6. ^ "US consulate in Chengdu officially shuts in retaliation for Houston closure". www.cnn.com. July 27, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  7. ^ Lafraniere, Sharon (April 10, 2012). "Death of a Briton Is Thrust to Center of China Scandal". New York Times. Archived from the original on April 10, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  8. ^ Megha Rajagopalan (July 25, 2013). "China charges Bo Xilai with corruption, paves way for trial". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  9. ^ Consul General Archived 2015-06-18 at the Wayback Machine
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