A security guard drives away from the Chinese Consulate General in Houston on Wednesday. Photo: AP

 US accusations of Chinese diplomats in Houston engaging in aiding economic espionage, attempted theft of scientific research and participating in "massive illegal spying" campaigns are complete slander, and if the US is bent on attacking China, it will never be short of excuses, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. 

The consulate general in Houston is China's first consulate general opened in the US after the two countries established diplomatic relations. For more than 40 years, the consulate general has been committed to enhancing mutual understanding and bilateral cooperation in various fields, which has gained wide recognition from the general public in the Southern US, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, said at Monday's routine press briefing.

Local media said the Houston area benefited a lot from China's consulate general in Houston which had been a bridge for tourism, trade and culture exchanges between the Houston area and China, Wang said. 

Relevant local officials were astonished to learn the news of the Houston consulate's closure, and hoped that China and the US can resolve their differences in a peaceful way and that China can relaunch the consulate there, Wang said.  

The above-mentioned facts showed that the accusations of the US are weak. For the US side, if it is bent on attacking China, it will never be short of excuses, Wang said.   

For some time, a few anti-China US politicians have continuously smeared China and provoked China in an attempt to contain China and reap personal gains. 

For example, they wantonly placed restriction on normal reporting activities of Chinese media in the US, expelled Chinese journalists, suppressed Chinese firms, and maliciously attacked the Communist Party of China (CPC) and China's political system. 

The real intention of these anti-China politicians is evident, that is to deliberately sabotage China-US relations, Wang said.  

Global Times