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Big Trouble in Little Chinese Consulate

4,336 Views | 32 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by kansas02gt
Milwaukees Best Light
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Lots of papers burned in a courtyard after our orange president ordered them to close. Why do super secret government agencies still use paper?
78_Pacecar
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Will be interesting to see what comes of this, the given reasoning seems to be theft of intellectual property. The Chinese have been doing this for years, so not really that shocking.
Ag_07
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Milwaukees Best Light said:

Why do super secret government agencies still use paper?

For this very reason
jetch17
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The recent surge of Coca Cola distribution trucks emerging from the consulate onto the streets of Tine makes me think there are some Chinese shenanigans at hand.

Remain smart, Americans!
Al Bula
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Video of the fire starter:

TXTransplant
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Not that it's relevant to this story at all, but I had to go down there a couple of years ago to help out a former grad student who had a passport issue. The place was packed and super disorganized. Evidently, paying someone to go down there and stand in line for you is big business because it's such a hassle.
chuckd
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TXTransplant said:

Not that it's relevant to this story at all, but I had to go down there a couple of years ago to help out a former grad student who had a passport issue. The place was packed and super disorganized. Evidently, paying someone to go down there and stand in line for you is big business because it's such a hassle.
yah, I went there to get a visa. Dirty, disorganized. Just like China.
ccolley68
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BohunkAg
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TXTransplant
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chuckd said:

TXTransplant said:

Not that it's relevant to this story at all, but I had to go down there a couple of years ago to help out a former grad student who had a passport issue. The place was packed and super disorganized. Evidently, paying someone to go down there and stand in line for you is big business because it's such a hassle.
yah, I went there to get a visa. Dirty, disorganized. Just like China.


Just like any government office - reminded me of my one trip to the social security office.

Part of the problem is they serve the entire south (my former student lives in North AL) and they won't mail anything. Everything has to be picked up in person. And even though I had all the correct paperwork, they still tried to refuse to turn over one of the three passports I was picking up. Then they tried to say they couldn't find it, and the office was about to close. I don't remember how I managed to convince them to turn it over.

They also keep weird hours and don't take appointments. So, if you get there and don't get your issue resolved before they close, you are SOL and have to go back.
tremble
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TXTransplant said:

chuckd said:

TXTransplant said:

Not that it's relevant to this story at all, but I had to go down there a couple of years ago to help out a former grad student who had a passport issue. The place was packed and super disorganized. Evidently, paying someone to go down there and stand in line for you is big business because it's such a hassle.
yah, I went there to get a visa. Dirty, disorganized. Just like China.


Just like any government office - reminded me of my one trip to the social security office.

Part of the problem is they serve the entire south (my former student lives in North AL) and they won't mail anything. Everything has to be picked up in person. And even though I had all the correct paperwork, they still tried to refuse to turn over one of the three passports I was picking up. Then they tried to say they couldn't find it, and the office was about to close. I don't remember how I managed to convince them to turn it over.

They also keep weird hours and don't take appointments. So, if you get there and don't get your issue resolved before they close, you are SOL and have to go back.


Basically the story of any consulate anywhere. The Spanish one in Houston is notorious. Hours are like 10-3 and you better make sure you have the forms ready or they will turn you away.
TXTransplant
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Yeah, I figured that's how they all operate. Seems crazy in this day and age, especially considering the sheer number of people who need the services they provide.
Irish 2.0
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Haven't you people ever heard of CIBT. Used them for all my visa needs. Never once had to step foot in a consulate.
tremble
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CreakinDeacon said:

Haven't you people ever heard of CIBT. Used them for all my visa needs. Never once had to step foot in a consulate.


I'm half-Spanish so I didn't need a VISA but that looks like a great resource for future use.
drumboy
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I once went to the Mexican Consulate to get a visa & vehicle permit for my bike but the line was so lone I just said F it and got some tacos from the taco truck.

Shorter wait at the visa office at the border but I did get popped for a $10 'xerox fee' and they tried to get me on insurance but I had already lined that up.
tk for tu juan
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Wonder if they were involved with cutting all the fiber lines in downtown last week
Agz_2003
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tk for tu juan said:

Wonder if they were involved with cutting all the fiber lines in downtown last week
I didn't hear about this...
chico
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Chinese consulate history
1 - they live on-site. Years ago the offices on 1st floor were air-conditioned but the apartments upstairs were not air-conditioned. They'd have the windows open up there all summer.
2 - the strip center just to the north of the consulate used to be a decently-tall office building. Somehow, the water bill from that office building was included with the water bill for the consulate. So the Chinese gov't was paying the water bill for years that included the water from the office building. I don't know if this ever got resolved, just that's the story I heard from my father-in-law who used to office in that since torn-down building.
agz win
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Reminds me I need to get back to Griffs.
swimmerbabe11
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Isnt it kinda wierd that they are doing that out in the open where it is so obvious that they are destroying stuff?
Spore Ag
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Think it is expected to destroy documents.

Li Cunxin the Houston Ballet dancer who defected was interned there. My wife danced with him and was allowed to visit him. First question he asked with no hello or good to see you was will you marry me?
Stat Monitor Repairman
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Can't be burning **** that close to Griff's. A stray ember could destroy the greatest bar in Houston.
wessimo
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Is your wife Elizabeth Mackey?

How did he get detained in the consulate if he defected?

Sounds like a fascinating story.
BQ_90
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Blue star for thread title
Spore Ag
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Li defected but was talked into going back, detained then an agreement was negotiated via Charles Foster and he was able to dance again. Feel at that time the Chinese Gov did not want to make a big scene about it but they I think they did bring some dancers home.
Ben Stevenson, the Houston Ballet director at the time had made a huge following in China as well.
tk for tu juan
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Agz_2003 said:

tk for tu juan said:

Wonder if they were involved with cutting all the fiber lines in downtown last week
I didn't hear about this...

Wednesday afternoon about 100 fiber lines were severed near the data center on Fannin/Clay. Business internet was out 24 hours, probably just a construction crew that did it, but Chinese sabotage makes a better story
94chem
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swimmerbabe11 said:

Isnt it kinda wierd that they are doing that out in the open where it is so obvious that they are destroying stuff?


Who cares how obvious it is. They don't want agents outed.
Spore Ag
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Carol knew Elizabeth but she was not in the Company. One can draw their own conclusions for the marriage but Ben did not hire her and she and Li divorced
JYDog90
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jetch17 said:

The recent surge of Coca Cola distribution trucks emerging from the consulate onto the streets of Tine makes me think there are some Chinese shenanigans at hand.

Remain smart, Americans!


Dip-lo-ma-tic immunity
BBRex
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Not the same country, but interesting that the fiber optic network comes up in this story, too.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-secret-history-of-the-russian-consulate-in-san-francisco?utm_source=fbsynd&utm_medium=social
expresswrittenconsent
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Willy Wonka said:

jetch17 said:

The recent surge of Coca Cola distribution trucks emerging from the consulate onto the streets of Tine makes me think there are some Chinese shenanigans at hand.

Remain smart, Americans!


Dip-lo-ma-tic immunity

No, old joke about "me put pee-pee in your coke".
sts7049
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tremble said:

TXTransplant said:

chuckd said:

TXTransplant said:

Not that it's relevant to this story at all, but I had to go down there a couple of years ago to help out a former grad student who had a passport issue. The place was packed and super disorganized. Evidently, paying someone to go down there and stand in line for you is big business because it's such a hassle.
yah, I went there to get a visa. Dirty, disorganized. Just like China.


Just like any government office - reminded me of my one trip to the social security office.

Part of the problem is they serve the entire south (my former student lives in North AL) and they won't mail anything. Everything has to be picked up in person. And even though I had all the correct paperwork, they still tried to refuse to turn over one of the three passports I was picking up. Then they tried to say they couldn't find it, and the office was about to close. I don't remember how I managed to convince them to turn it over.

They also keep weird hours and don't take appointments. So, if you get there and don't get your issue resolved before they close, you are SOL and have to go back.


Basically the story of any consulate anywhere. The Spanish one in Houston is notorious. Hours are like 10-3 and you better make sure you have the forms ready or they will turn you away.
what a cush job it would be to be a diplomat
BohunkAg
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https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/22/state-department-china-houston-consulate-closing-377715

Oh.

Quote:

In a statement on the closure order, a State Department spokesperson accused China of engaging "for years in massive illegal spying and influence operations throughout the United States against U.S. government officials and American citizens."
kansas02gt
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prolly just burning TikTok usernames, addy's, SSN's; the usual.
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