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

• 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 US Congress has been served notice of the impending closures, which are being justified on cost grounds and follow a reassessment of the US’s bilateral relationships with a range of countries since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
• According to a notice served to several congressional committees, missions will close in St George’s, Grenada; Nagoya, Japan;