Suspect arrested over Chinese consulate arson in San Francisco

A man suspected of carrying out the arson attack on the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, California, has been arrested, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Monday. The 39-year-old man suspect has permanent resident status of the United States, special Agent David Johnson, chief of the FBI's San Francisco office, said at a press conference. The suspect was arrested Friday after he turnedcisco, according to Johnson. The suspect is currently held on two criminal charges, including causing damage to property of a foreign government and arson, said the special agent. The investigators have so far been looking at the incident as a purely criminal matter, and do not believe politics or other organizations was involved. Last Wednesday, a person got out of a mini-van parked in front of the main entrance of the Chinese consulate-general in San Francisco, poured two buckets of gasoline onto the front door and set it alight, according to a statement posted on the website of the consulate-general. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the New Year's Day blaze that charred a doorway and damaged the lobby of the building. After the press conference, the Chinese consulate-general in San Francisco urged the United States to punish the culprit, take effective measures to protect its diplomatic institutions and staff, and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.