China on Wednesday slammed the US for asking Beijing to close its consulate in Houston in the state of Texas.

Accusing the US of “unilateral political provocation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that the US push to have the Houston consulate closed was “a grave violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations,” Chinese daily Global Times reported.

Urging Washington “to immediately correct its mistakes,” Wenbin told a press conference in Beijing: “Otherwise, China will make a legitimate and necessary response.”

The US move is a “grave violation” of related provisions of the China-US Consular Treaty, and a “deliberate attempt to undermine China-US relations,” the spokesman added.

Calling the US action “an unprecedented escalation of its moves against China,” Wenbin said: “For some time, the US has been attacking and launching smear campaigns against China, and unreasonably made trouble for staff members at Chinese consulates.”

Wenbin said the US Embassy in China “often publishes articles [on its website] openly attacking China."

“It is clear who is interfering in other countries' internal affairs and who is infiltrating and inciting confrontations,” he added.