Chinese Consulate Arson Suspect Makes 1st Court Appearance

A man accused of lighting a fire at the Chinese consulate in San Francisco on Jan. 1 made a brief appearance in federal court on Tuesday and was appointed a lawyer.

The suspect, identified as Feng Yanfeng, 39, of Daly City, was arrested Friday after he turned himself in for the arson attack.

The building was damaged but no one was hurt in the fire.

Feng had been ordered by a U.S. Magistrate to return to court on Jan. 15 for a detention hearing to determine whether he will be kept in custody or granted bail while awaiting trial.

The FBI earlier said that Feng is a Chinese citizen with legal permanent residency in the US.

Feng is being held on federal charges of causing damage to the property of a foreign government and arson.

On Tuesday, China urged the United States to take measures to safeguard Chinese diplomatic and consular institutions.

"China urges the U.S. side to thoroughly investigate the case, punish the troublemaker and take any necessary measures to effectively ensure the safety of Chinese diplomatic and consular institutions, and to avoid any further cases of this kind," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

China will closely watch the case as the investigation continues, Hua said at a regular press briefing.