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Suspect arrested over Chinese consulate arson in San Francisco A man suspected of carrying out the arson attack on the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, California, has been arrested, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Monday.

Chinese arson suspect blames ‘voices’ for SF consulate blaze China urges US to safeguard diplomatic institutions Suspect arrested in relation to Chinese consulate general attack FBI: Fire likely criminal act, not terrorism related Police boosts security at Chinese consulate in San Francisco Fire severely damages compound, no injury reported China urges US to ensure safety following consulate arson attack Chinese consulate-general in San Francisco damaged in arson attack Arson attack on SF China consulate

Reactions

Consulate spokesperson's remarks on arson attack The arson attack is a violent crime targeted at the Chinese consular institution in the United States, causing severe damage to the consulate facilities and posing a threat to the safety of the consulate staff and the residents living nearby. We strongly condemn this despicable act and have already made representations with the US side on the attack. We urge the US side to take all necessary measures to provide adequate protection for Chinese consular personnel and properties, and bring the culprit(s) to justice as soon as possible.

US 'deeply concerned' by arson attack on Chinese consulate in San Francisco The United States is 'deeply concerned' by reports that the Chinese consulate-general in San Francisco was damaged in an arson attack, the State Department said Thursday. "We take this incident very seriously," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.

Witness

"I drove the car, passing by the consulate at the street corner, and waiting for the green light, I saw the fire break out and the fire was even higher than the lion at the front gate...when I took out the phone to take a photo, the fire was as high as a second floor building." "The fire even spread to the zebra line for three meters and continued to spread...I could feel the heat of the fire in the car even 3 lanes away from the fire."

Commentary

Global Times:
SF consulate arson is US security failure
China should put a query to the US, asking its authorities whether they, which boast the rule of law, have taken responsibility, through crackdowns on those offenders, of sending a clear signal that their crimes are "unforgivable."  

Under such circumstances, Chinese Embassy and its consulates should have been more heavily protected by US security forces. However, a lack of hard crackdowns on those attackers has obviously made them feel they are being winked at.

Global Times (Chinese edition)
Li Wei, director of the anti-terrorism research center under the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations
Chinese embassies around the world have been attacked by activists motivated by “Tibetan independence”, “Eastern Turkestan” and the Falun Gong.

The crime pattern of the arson attack clearly reveals this was an organized act. US officials have installed an efficient surveillance system in the area surrounding the Chinese Consulate, with cameras capable of capturing images of every passing vehicle. Embassies and consulates in any country are well-protected. Therefore, US officials and security guards have an unavoidable responsibility that failed to capture the attacker in time.

An official CCTV Sina Weibo account:
Although a suspect of the New Year’s Day arson attack against the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco has been arrested, the US has not provided further details. 

Earlier reports claimed that a sign reading "Free Tibet” was found at the crime scene. A few days before the incident, the US government transferred three Uyghur terrorists from a Guantanamo Bay detention center to Slovakia instead of China. Having such double standards in the fight against terrorism will only bring harm to the US.

Other Cases

September 30, 2013
Chinese Embassy in Damascus: A mortar shell fell into the compound of the Chinese Embassy in Damascus on September 30, slightly injuring a Syrian employee, according to an official from the embassy. It was the first time that the Chinese Embassy was hit since the Syrian conflict broke out two and a half years ago.
September 17, 2012
Chinese Consulate-General in Fukuoka: A man was sentenced to one year and six months in prison with a three-year reprieve by the Fukuoka District Court in Fukuoka City, southwestern Japan, on Monday for obstructing business at the Chinese Consulate General in the city, local press reported. The court found construction worker Yuya Fujita, who claimed to be a member of a right wing political group, guilty of forcible obstruction of business because he threw two smoke bombs onto the premises of the Chinese Consulate General on September 17.
December 16, 2011
Chinese Consulate-General in Los Angeles: A gunman fired a number of shots at the Chinese Consulate-General in Los Angeles, but didn't cause any injury. The gunman later turned himself in.
July 6, 2009
Chinese Consulate-general in Munich: Two unidentified men threw three Molotov cocktails at the Chinese Consulate-general in Munich, setting a Chinese national flag on fire. Part of the consulate building was charred. Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands: More than 150 "Eastern Turkestan" activists attacked the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands, damaging Embassy facilities and posing a severe threat to the staff and property.
March, 2008
Chinese Embassy in San Francisco: Just before the torch of the Beijing Olympic Games reached San Francisco for the relay, the consulate was set on fire. Tibetan separatists, who staged several protests in the city before the arson, denied any involvement in the attack.
May 8, 1999
Chinese Embassy in Belgrade: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), headed by the US, brazenly used missiles to attack China's embassy in Belgrade, leading to the death of three Chinese reporters and severe damage of embassy houses.

Web editor:wangnan1@globaltimes.com.cn