Chinese officials announced they've lowered the American flag and taken over the U.S. consulate in Chengdu, the capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, per AFP.
The big picture: The closure marks a tit-for-tat move by Chinese authorities after the forced shuttering of China's consulate in Houston by U.S. officials. Chengdu is a secondary diplomatic outpost for the U.S. — much like Houston was for China.
