Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi gives an exclusive interview to Xinhua on China-U.S. ties in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

Starting a "diplomatic war" does not prove the strength of the United States, but exposes its increasing lack of confidence, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday.

The Chinese Consulate-General in Houston was the first consulate-general opened by China in the United States after the establishment of the diplomatic ties, and it was always an important symbol of China-U.S. friendship, Wang said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Closing such a consulate-general that bears both historical and current significance is closing a window for exchange and mutual understanding between the Chinese and Americans, Wang said.

This move has undermined the normal growth of China-U.S. relations and the friendship between the two peoples, he noted.

All the excuses for closure claimed by the U.S. side are nothing but fabrications designed to slander China, and none of the excuses is backed by any evidence or can stand up to scrutiny, Wang said.

China would not swallow the arbitrary and unscrupulous move, and China's countermeasure is legitimate, justified and lawful, which also fully conforms to diplomatic norms, Wang underscored.

China has no intention to fight a "diplomatic war" with the United States as it will only hurt the interests of the two peoples even more, Wang said.

If the United States is bent on going down the wrong path, China is ready to make due response, Wang added.