The main entrance of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco was set on fire Wednesday. No one was injured in the blaze, which the Chinese blamed on an unidentified attacker.
While police have no suspects, the New York Times reports, the consulate urged the United States to bring the culprit or culprits who doused the building’s front door with two buckets of gasoline to justice as soon as possible. “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,” the consulate said in a statement.
No one has taken responsibility for the attack.
The US State Department released the statement:
The United States is deeply concerned by reports that the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco was damaged after being targeted by an arsonist on Wednesday, January 1. We take this incident very seriously, and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security is working with the FBI and local authorities to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators. Department officials are communicating with Chinese officials to provide support and updates on the case.
Additional reporting by Zeke J Miller.
[NYT]