US strongly condemns arson attack on Chinese Consulate in San Francisco

The U.S. voiced here Thursday its deep concern over reports that the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco was damaged by an arsonist. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Hard said in a statement that the U.S. "is deeply concerned by reports that the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco was damaged after being targeted by an arsonist," on Wednesday. She stressed that "we take this incident very seriously." She added that the Bureau of Diplomatic Security is working with the FBI and local authorities "to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators." She noted that U.S. Department officials "are communicating with Chinese officials to provide support and updates on the case." The Chinese Consulate-General in San Francisco said in a statement that a person "poured two buckets of gasoline onto the front door of the consulate, and then set it on fire, causing it severely damaged." The statement stressed that "the arson attack is a violent crime targeted at the Chinese consular institution in the United States, causing severe damage to the consulate facilities and posing a threat to the safety of the consulate staff and the residents living nearby." "We strongly condemn this despicable act and have already made representations with the US side on the attack. We urge the US side to take all necessary measures to provide adequate protection for Chinese consular personnel and properties, and bring the culprit(s) to justice as soon as possible," the statemen