Responding to the Trump administration’s closing of China’s consulate in Houston, Beijing is almost certain to close a U.S. consulate. But when it comes to intelligence activity, the Houston closure will be more harmful to China than any Chinese closure is to the United States.

Alongside its embassy in Beijing, the U.S. has five consulates in China. These are located in the cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Wuhan. But what value do the consulates have for intelligence collection purposes?