China vows to retaliate after U.S. orders closure of its consulate in Houston

CHANGSHA, China — The United States has ordered China to close its consulate in Houston by Friday, an abrupt move that opens up a new front in a battle for supremacy between the world's two biggest economies. Beijing immediately vowed to retaliate for the "unprecedented escalation," leading to speculation it could order the closure of the U.S. Consulate in Wuhan, which has been shuttered since the coronavirus epidemic spread across the city in January. The confrontation in the diplomatic sphere widens a conflict that alrea…