US to shut five consulates as critics fear China could fill diplomatic vacuum

State department informs Congress of planned closures in Canada, Grenada, Japan, Indonesia and Cameroon The US state department is to shut five foreign consulates and missions across Asia, Africa, North America and the Caribbean, drawing criticism that it is leaving a diplomatic vacuum at risk of being filled by China.

The federal government as a whole has undergone severe cutback since Trump returned to office, with the State Department alone undergoing mass layoff last year.