US Secretary of State Pompeo accused the Chinese consulate in New York being used as a hub for Beijing's espionage efforts.

"They have carried out operations that go beyond the bounds of normal diplomacy and turn to doing things like spies," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on September 23, referring to the Chinese consulate.

Pompeo's statement came after New York Police Department officer Baimadajie Angwang was arrested for allegedly spying for the Chinese government, which Beijing claimed was "completely fabricated".

This is not the first time Chinese consulates in the US have been targeted by the Trump administration.

"We decided to shut it down because they were involved in espionage and it was on legal terms. This is not just a hypothesis of espionage allegations. It is the result of analysis based on data and facts.

The US Secretary of State on September 23 also called on state officials to be wary of Chinese diplomats because of fears of "spying and influence" even at the local level.

China in July called the US request for the closure of the consulate in Houston as "an unprecedented escalation", "unilateral political provocation", and undermining relations between the two countries.

Beijing has also repeatedly denied Washington's allegations of cyberattacking US companies, politicians or government agencies.

Tensions between the US and China have increased recently around issues such as the origin and handling of Covid-19, trade disputes, the South China Sea, Hong Kong security law, Taiwan and Xinjiang issues.