Foreign Ministry urges U.S. to conduct swift probe into San Francisco consulate car crash

China has strongly urged the United States to conduct a swift investigation and take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese diplomatic institutions and personnel after a vehicle crashed into the Chinese consulate-general building in San Francisco on Monday.

Police fatally shot the driver of the blue Honda sedan that plowed through the consulate and into the lobby of the building's visa office in the afternoon. The identity of the driver, who died in a hospital, had not been released. There was no report of anyone else being injured in the incident.

San Francisco police said they didn't know why the unidentified driver smashed through the front of the consulate, located on a major street across from the city's Japantown neighborhood. The San Francisco Standard, citing unnamed sources, said that police shot the driver believing that the person was armed.

The Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that an "unidentified individual" crashed into the consulate in San Francisco and tried to hurt visitors and consulate staff.

"China strongly urges the U.S. to launch a swift investigation and take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese diplomatic missions and personnel there," spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing.

Wang also called on the U.S. to take strong measures according to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

In a statement released on its WeChat account, the Chinese consulate said it would temporarily close its consular certificate hall starting on Tuesday, and would inform the public when services resume.

A separate statement from the consulate denounced Monday's incident. "An unidentified person drove a vehicle and violently crashed into the visa office of our consulate, posing a serious threat to the safety of staff and people on site, and causing serious damage to our consulate's facilities," it said.

The consulate said it severely condemns the violent attack and reserves the right to pursue responsibilities related to the incident. It said it has made solemn representations to the U.S., demanding that the truth be quickly ascertained and dealt with seriously in accordance with the law.

"We also urge the United States to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Consulate General personnel and premises, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and the Consular Convention between China and the U.S.," the statement added.