Chinese authorities have taken over the United States consulate in Chengdu, the foreign ministry said, days after Beijing ordered it to close in retaliation for the closure of its mission in Houston.
State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of the US flag being lowered and the Chinese government confirmed the consulate had closed at 3am Irish time.
"Afterwards, Chinese authorities entered through the front entrance and took it over," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Relations between the US and China have deteriorated in recent weeks, with the Chengdu mission on Friday ordered to shut in retaliation for the forced closure of Beijing's consulate in Houston, Texas.
Both consulates closed 72 hours after the original order was made.
The road leading to the Chengdu mission was closed, with police and cordons blocking the way.
State media reported that staff members had left the compound early this morning.
Over the weekend, removal trucks entered the site and cleaners were seen carting large black rubbish bags from the consulate.
On Saturday, workers were seen removing the US insignia from the front of the building.
A constant stream of onlookers in the city of 16.5 million flowed past the building over the weekend, many taking photos.
The US consulate in the city covered China's southwest, including Tibet. Many Tibetans accuse the central government of religious repression and eroding their culture.
Beijing says closing the consulate was a "legitimate and necessary response to the unreasonable measures by the United States", and has alleged that staff at the diplomatic mission endangered China's security and interests.
Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters that some US staff in the Chengdu consulate "were engaged in activities outside of their capacity, interfered in China's internal affairs, and endangered China's security and interests".
Washington officials, meanwhile, said there had been unacceptable efforts by the Chinese consulate in Houston to steal US corporate secrets and proprietary medical and scientific research.
Tension has soared between the world's two biggest economic powers on a range of fronts including trade.
China's handling of the novel coronavirus and a tough new security law for Hong Kong, with US officials warning of a "new tyranny" from China.
The last Chinese diplomats left the Houston consulate last Friday, with officials there seen loading large sacks of documents and other items onto trucks, and throwing some in bins.
Beijing said on Saturday that US agents "forcibly" entered the Houston consulate, which it said was "China's national property".
Its statement warned that "China will make a proper and necessary response in this regard".
