Expelling US consular spies an option for China: analysts

The Global Times reports that China on Thursday defied widespread expectations for announcing looming countermeasures against the US order to close the Chinese consulate in Houston, indicating what analysts call China's "strategic patience and calm" to ensure that its response is both proportionate and painful for the US.
 

Lead paragraphs

The lack of an announcement on Thursday, which left questions open as to which US consulate, if any, would be closed in retaliation, could be due to the fact that China will thoroughly calculate the implementation, intended impact, and possible US reactions to its countermeasures, in line with China's long-standing decision-making process, analysts said.

They predict that the closure of a US consulate is a practical option. But because the US has sent many intelligence agents to China under the diplomatic cover, China could also consider expelling hundreds of US "diplomats," since the Trump administration has provided a perfect chance for Beijing to contain Washington's egregious  activities in China. 

more to come...