US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

China has torn down our valuable intellectual property and business secrets, said Mike Pompeo (FILE)

Washington:

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that the Chinese consulate in Houston, which Washington has closed, is a center for espionage and operations to illegally uncover US business secrets.

"This week we closed China's consulate in Houston because it was a center for intellectual property spying and theft," said Pompeo in a California speech on China's threat to the world.

"China has torn down our valuable intellectual property and business secrets, which have cost millions of jobs across America," he said.

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