China ordered the United States today to close its consulate in the city of Chengdu (photo, above), in a tit-for-tat response to being told to shut its consulate in Houston earlier this week, as relations between the two world powers deteriorated further.

China had warned it would retaliate after it was unexpectedly given 72 hours - until today - to vacate its Houston consulate, and had urged Washington to reconsider...