The U.S. consulate in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu shut down Monday morning, following such orders from Beijing, in retaliation of Washington's ordered closure of a Chinese consulate in Houston, Texas.

Confirming the closure as of 10:00 a.m. local time, the U.S. State Department issued a statement saying the consulate had stood at the center of Sino-U.S. relations with the people in Western China, including Tibet, for 35 years.

Expressing disappointment, the Department said Washington will strive to continue its outreach to the people in the region through its other posts in China.

The U.S. flag at the consulate was brought down at around 6:18 a.m.

On Weibo, China's Foreign Ministry confirmed the shutdown, adding "competent authorities" had entered through the front entrance and took over the premises.

Last week, the U.S. had alleged that the Houston consulate was a nest of Chinese spies who tried to steal data from medical facilities in Texas.

China accused the U.S. of violating the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the China-U.S. Consular Convention, warning of "legitimate and necessary reactions."